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S.  BRADSHAW.    SCULPT 


TEE  GOUGE  OF  THE  KABISHA=IJEBAN"OW. 


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VOL.    III. 


!  i 


PICTURESQUE    PALESTINE 


SINAI    AND    EGYPT 


EDITED  BY 


SIR  CHARLES  WILSON,  R.E.,  K.C.B.,  F.R.S. 

Formerly  Engineer  to  the  Palestine  Exploration  Society 


ASSISTED    BY    THE    MOST    EMINENT    PALESTINE    EXPLORERS 

ETC. 


WITH  NUMEROUS  ENGRAVINGS  ON  STEEL  AND    WOOD 


IN    FOUR    VOLUMES 

VOL.    III. 


5  ^ 


LONDON 
J.  S.  VIRTUE  AND  CO.,  Limited,  294,  CITY  ROAD 


4>7<tf 


V.3 


CONTENTS. 

VOL.  III. 


PHCENICIA  AND   LEBANON.    By  the  Rev.  Dr.  SAMUEL  JESSUP i 

Husn  Suleiman. — Baal  Worship. — Tripoli. — Kadisha,  the  Sacred  River. — Government  of  the  Lebanon. — Edhen. — 
The  Maronites. — Cedars  of  Lebanon. — Sources  of  the  Adonis. — Temple  of  Venus. — Natural  Bridge. — The 
Dog  River. — Assyrian  and  Egyptian  Tablets. — Beirut :  its  Schools,  Ancient  and  Modern. — Druses. — Sidon. — 
Ancient  Commerce. — The  Modern  Town  and  Gardens  of  Saida. — The  Necropolis. — Phoenician  Inscriptions. — 
Tomb  of  King  Ashmanazar. — The  Moabite  Stone  and  Siloam  Tablet. 

THE  PHCENICIAN   PLAIN.    By  the  Rev.  CANON  TRISTRAM,  L.L.D.,  F.R.S.      .        .     -  .        .        .        .49 
Sarepta. — The  River  Leontes. — Tyre  :  the  Modern  Town,  Es  Sur. — Ruins  of  the  Cathedral. — The  Phoenicians. — 
Tomb  of  Hiram. — The  Ladder  of  Tyre. — Wady  Ashur. — Kul'at  el  Kiirn,  the  Mountfort  of  the  Crusaders. — 
Ancient  Sites  in  the  Plain  of  Acre. — The  River  Belus. 

ACRE,   THE   KEY  OF  PALESTINE.    By  Miss  M.  E.  ROGERS .        .73 

Approach  to  '  Akka  from  the  Sea. — The  City  Walls. — Egyptian  Rule  in  Syria. — Bombardment  of  '  Akka. — Markets 
and  Bazaars,  Private  Houses  and  Public  Buildings. — Early  History  of  'Akka. — Accho. — Ptolema'is. — Coins 
of  the  Ptolemies. — The  Stronghold  of  the  Crusaders. — Crusading  Coinage. — Destruction  of  the  City  in  1291. 

MOUNT  CARMEL  AND   THE   RIVER  KISHON.    By  Miss  M.  E.  ROGERS .91 

Bay  of  'Akka.— Vegetation  of  the  Plain  of  'Akka.— Gardens  of  Haifa.— The  Modern  Town  of  Haifa.— Haifa  el 
'Atikeh. — German  Colony  of  Temple  Christians.  —  Sycaminum.  —  Mount  Carmel.  —  The  Convent. — The 
Pilgrim's  Spring. — Arab  Fables. — Druse  Villages. — El  Mahrakah,  the  Place  of  Elijah's  Sacrifice. — The 
River  Kishon. 

MARITIME  CITIES  AND  PLAINS   OF  PALESTINE.    By  Miss  M.  E.  ROGERS  .        .        .        .        .        .109 

Ancient  Coast  Road.  —  Athlit.  —  Rock-cut  Defile.  —  Fountain  of  Dustrey.  —  A  Night  at  Kefr  Lamm.  —  Tedious 
Voyage  to  Tanturah,  "sailing  slowly."  —  Abu  Habib,  the  Custom-house  Officer.  —  The  Plain  of  Dor. — 
Solomon's  Purveyors.— Crocodile  River.— Arab  Fable.— Plain  of  Sharon.— Csesarea.— Port  of  Abu  Zabura.— 
Melon  Harvest.—  Arsuf.— Antipatris.— Joppa.— Road  from  Jaffa  to  Ramleh. 

LYDDA  AND   RAMLEH.    By  Lieut.-Col.   WARREN,  L.M.G.,  R.E .145 

View  from  the  Tower  of  Ramleh.— The  Plain  of  Sharon.— Church  of  St.  George  at  Lydda,  the  ancient  Ludd. — 
'Amwas  and  Latron. 

PHILISTIA.    By  Lieut.-Col.   WARREN,  L.M.G.,  R.E 149 

The  Philistines.— Encroachment  of  Sand  on  the  Corn  Plains  of  Philistia.— Zorah,  the  Birthplace  of  Samson.— 
Ekron.— The  Valley  of  Sorek.— 'Ain  Shems,  the  Site  of  Bethshemesh.— Wady  es  Sunt,  the  Valley  of  Elah.— 
The  Scene  of  David's  Encounter  with  Goliath.— Tell  es  Safy.— Gath. — Yabneh,  the  ancient  Jabneh.— Mejdel, 
the  ancient  Migdol.— Ruins  of  Ascalon. 

THE   SOUTH   COUNTRY   OF  JUDAEA.     By  the  Rev.  CANON  TRISTRAM,  LL.D.,  F.R.S 167 

Approach  to  Palestine  from  the  South. — R.ock-cut  Wells. — From  Abu  Jerar  to  Gaza. — Ajlan,  the  ancient  Eglon. 
— Libnah. — Khiirbet  Gat. — Beit  Jibrin. — Artificial  Caverns. — Ruins  of  the  Church  of  St.  Anna.— Adullarr.. 
— Road  to  Hebron. — Ramet  el  Khtilil.—  Tekoa. — Engedi. 

b 


iv  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND  AND   DEAD  SEA.     By  Professor  PALMER,  M.A 193 

Abraham's  Oak. — Tree  Worship.— Hebron.— Cave  of  Machpelah. — Ancient  Pools. — Tell  Zif.— Land  of  Moab.— 
Kerek. — "Cities  of  the  Plain. "— Jebel  Usdum,  a  Mountain  of  Crystalline  Rock  Salt. — The  Dead  Sea. — 
Wilderness  of  Engedi.— Beersheba.— Kadesh  Barnea. — Idumea.— Petra.— Rock-cut  Tombs  and  Temples. — 
Pharaoh's  Treasury. 

MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS   OF  EDOM.    By  Miss  M.  E.  ROGERS 217 

Through  the  Ravine  to  Petra. — Ascent  to  Ed  Deir. — Josephus. — Mount  Hor. — To  the  Shrine  of  Neby  Hariin  on 
its  Summit. — Sacrifice  of  a  Goat  on  Aaron's  Terrace. — Wady  'Arabah  :  its  Shrubs  and  Flowers. — Animal  Life 
in  the  Deseit. — Site  of  Ezion  Geber. — The  Peutinger  Tables. — Elath. — Castle  of  'Akabah. — Pharaoh's  Island. 

THE  CONVENT  OF  ST.   CATHERINE.    By  Miss  M.  E.  ROGERS  .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .        .230 

The  Shores  of  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah. — View  of  the  Land  of  Midian. — Change  of  Escort. — Enter  the  Mountains 
through  the  Nukb  el  Abweib. — 'Ain  el  Hudhera. — Hazeroth. — Tomb  of  the  Prophet  Saleh. — Festivals  in  his 
honour. — Arrival  at  the  Convent. — Church  of  the  Transfiguration.— The  Library. — The  "  Codex  Sinaiticus." — 
Ascent  of  Jebel  Musa. — St.  Stephen's  Gate. — The  Convent  Servitors. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

VOL.  III. 

«♦- 

ENGRAVINGS   ON   STEEL. 

The  Gorge  of  the  KadJsha,  Lebanon Frontispiece 

Convent  of  St.  Catherine,  Mount  Sinai Vignette 

Map  of  Palestine. 

Bay  of  Beirut .    ..'•  .        .        .        .        .      to  face  page     34 

Sidon .42 

Tyre S4 

Mount  Carmel 94 

Cesarea .        .        .        .        .126 

Jaffa,  the  ancient  Joppa 142 

Gaza "    170 

Hebron -    ....    183 

Entrance  to  the  Valley  of  Petra 217 


ENGRAVINGS   ON   WOOD. 


Hasrun,  a  Maronite  Village 

The  Valley  of  the  Kadisha  (the  Holy  River) 
Convent  of  the  Mullawiyeh,  or  Dancing  Dervishes, 

Tripoli 

The  Castle  of  Tripoli,  a  Stronghold  of  the  Crusaders  . 
The  Castle  of  Museilihah  ("  Place  of  Weapons  ") 
Map  of  Northern  Lebanon  ...... 

The  Natural  Bridge  of  Akura 

Cliffs  of  Akura,  in  the  Mogheriye  Valley,  Lebanon     . 
The  Fountain  of  Afka  (Apheca)  . 
The  Valley  of  the  Adonis  (Nahr  Ibrahim)    . 
Lebanon  Coast  near  the  Mouth  of  the  Adonis  River  . 

The  Natural  Bridge,  Lebanon 

Under  the  Natural  Bridge,  Lebanon  .        .        .        . 

The  Chasm  of  Neb'a  el  Lebban 

Roman  Bridge  near  Juneh 

Limestone  Rocks,  Ajeltun,  Lebanon  . 

Beirut,  from  Jaita 

A  Lebanon  Cafe ,.'  ■. 

The  Slopes  of  Lebanon 

Cliffs  and  Sculptured  Tablets 

The  Nahr  el  Kelb  (Dog  River) 

Modern  Aqueduct  on  the  Nahr  el  Kelb 

Bath  and  Cafe,  Beirut 

Pigeon  Rocks,  Beirut 

Beirut  Castle 


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Khan  Neby  Yiinas  (the  Khan  of  the  Prophet  Jonah)  .  44 
The  Castle  and  Harbour  of  Saida,  the  ancient  Sidon  .  45 
The  Citadel  of  Saida,  the  ancient  Sidon  ...  47 
A  Peasant  Woman  churning      .        .        .        .        .      48 

Site  of  Sarepta .49 

The  Bay  of  Sidon  from  Sarepta 51 

Bridge  over  the  Nahr  el  Kasimiyeh  (the  Leontes)  .  52 
The  Valley  of  the  Leontes,  near  the  coast  .        .        -53 

The  Gate  of  Tyre  (Sur) 55 

Ruins  of  the  Cathedral  Church  at  Tyre       ...      56 

Kabr  Hiram        .        .        . 57 

The  Remains  of  Tyre .        -59 

Reservoirs  of  R4s  el  'Ain  and  part  of  the  Roman 

Aqueduct 60 

Aqueduct,  Ras  el  'Ain 61 

Ras  el  Abyad  (White  Cape),  the  Ladder  of  Tyre  64,  65 
Looking  towards  Tyre  from  Nakurah  ....      68 

Ras  en  Nakurah 69 

The  City  of  Acre  fAkka)  from  the  North-east  .  .  72 
The  City  of  Acre  from  the  South  ....  72 
Gate  of 'Akka(St.  Jean  d'Acre).  .  .  .  -73 
Ruins  of  an  Aqueduct  east  of  'Akka  ....  75 
General  View  of  'Akka  from  the  north-east,  Carmel 

in  the  distance 76 

Ablutions  after  a  Mid-day  Meal 77 

The  Plain  of  'Akka  from  the  slopes  of  Carmel    .        .      £0 


VI 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


View 


A  Well  in  a  Garden  of  Haifa 

The  Bay  of  'Akka  from  the  Slopes  of  Carmel 

The  Convent  of  Mount  Carmel    . 

The  Grotto  known  as  "  the  School  of  the  Prophets 

The  Northern  Point  of  Mount  Carmel 

El  Mahrakah,  the  Place  of  Elijah's  Sacrifice 

Well  at  the  Place  of  Elijah's  Sacrifice,  and  a 

from  the  Heights  above  it    . 
The  River  Kishon  from  El  Mahrakah 
The  Plains  of  Esdraelon  from  the  Heights  above  El 

Mahrakah,  looking  towards  the  south-east 

The  River  Kishon 

Athlit,  from  the  south 

Ruins  on  the  west  side  of  Athlit  . 

View  of  the  Great  Sea  from  Athlit 

Remains  of  a  Crusading  Fort  at  Tanturah  . 

The  Castle  of  Caesarea         .        .        . 

Columns  in  the  Sea,  Caesarea 

Part  of  the  North  Wall  and  Moat  of  Cassarea 

Tower  of  the  Castle  at  Caesarea  . 

Remains  of  a  Fortified  Khan  at  Mukhalid  . 

Neby  Ben  Yamin  (Tomb  of  the  Prophet  Benjan 

Kefr  Saba 

The  Castle  of  Mirabel  .... 

The  Nahr  el  Aujeh  from  Kul'at  Ras  el  'Ain 
Sacred  Tree  called  Sheikh  et  Teim     . 
The  traditional  Tomb  of  Joshua  . 
Landing  at  Jaffa         .        .        :        . 

The  Mosque  at  Jaffa 

Shittim  Tree  at  Jaffa 

The  traditional  House  of  Simon  the  Tanner 

View  of  the  Rock-encircled  Harbour  at  Jaffa 

A  Roadside  Fountain  and  Tomb 

Public  Fountain  at  Jaffa     . 

Scene  in  a  Jaffa  Garden 

Scene  in  the  Bazaar  at  Jaffa 

Sanctuary  of  Imam  'Aly 

The  Tower  at  Ramleh 

Ruins  of  the  Church  of  St.   George  at  Ludd 

ancient  Lydda       .        .        . 
The  Plain  of  Sharon  from  the  Tower,  Ramleh 
Sur'ah,  the  ancient  Zorah   .         . 
The  Ruined  Fortress  of  Latron,  from  'Amwas 
Shrine  of  Sheikh  Samat,  at  Sur'ah  (Zorah) . 
'Ain  Shems,  the  Site  of  Beth-Shemesh 

The  Valley  of  Sorek 

Tibneh,  the  Site  of  Timnath 
Wady  es  Sunt,  the  Valley  of  Elah 
Shocoh,  the  Camp  of  the  Philistines    . 


,  the 


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Ploughing  in  the  Plains  of  Philistia    . 

Tell  es  Safy,  the  supposed  Site  of  Gath 

Yabneh,  the  ancient  Jabneh 

Eshdud,  the  ancient  Ashdod 

El  Mejdel,  the  ancient  Migdol    . 

Ruins  of  Ascalon,  from  the  north-east 

Ruins  of  Ascalon,  from  the  south-west 

Ruins  of  Ascalon,  from  the  north 

Ghtizzeh,  the  ancient  Gaza 

A  Well  in  the  Plain  of  Philistia  . 

The  Castle  of  Beit  Jibrin,  by  starlight 

Subterranean    Labyrinth  of    Tell    Sandannah  (Beit 

Jibrin)  .         .         . 
The  Valley  of  Beit  Jibrin     . 
The  Church  of  St.  Anne,  Beit  Jibrin   . 
The  Valley  of  Berachah      . 
The  Wilderness  of  Judaea    . 
Teku'a,  the  Site  of  Tekoa   . 
Ramet  el  Khulil,  the  Site  of  Mamre    . 
Wady  et  Tuffah,  commonly  called  the  Vale  of  Eshcol 
Abraham's  Oak,  Hebron     . 
The  Pools  of  Hebron   .... 
Ruined  Wely,  Hebron 

The  Dead  Sea,  looking  north-east  from  Engedi 
The  Mountains  of  Moab  from  Engedi 
Engedi,  the  Fountain  of  the  Kid  ('Ain  Jidy) 
The  Southern  End  of  the  Dead  Sea  from  Enged 
The  Cliffs  of  Engedi    .... 
The  Wilderness  of  Engedi  . 

Bir  es  Seba',  the  Site  of  Beersheba 

'Ain  el  Weibeh,  on  the  Border  of  Edom 

Rock-cut  Tomb  or  Temple,  Petra 

Detached  Tombs,  Petra 

The  Rock-hewn  Amphitheatre,  Petra 

Mount  Hor 

Rock-cut  Tombs,  Petra 

Cliffs  of  the  Sik,  Petra 

The  Deir,  Petra 

Jezirat  Far' on,  the  Isle  of  Pharaoh 

Letter  of  Admission  to  the  Convent  of  St.  Catherine 

A  Peep  into  one  of  the  Courts  of  the  Convent 

The  Upper  Chambers  of  the  Convent  . 

View  from  the  North-eastern  Galleries 

Interior    of    the    Church    of    the    Convent    of     St 
Catherine      ..... 

The  Crescent  and  the  Cross 

Gate  of  St.  Stephen  the  Porter    . 

Well  in  the  Garden  of  the  Convent  of  St.  Catherine 

Eastern  Tower  of  the  Convent  of  St.  Catherine  . 


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PHCENICIA  AND 

LEBANON. 


"  With  these  came  they,  who  from  the  bordering  flood 
Of  old  Euphrates,  to  the  brook  that  parts 
Egypt  from  Syrian  ground,  had  general  names 
Of  Baalim  and  Ashtaroth." 

"  And  Canaan  begat  Sidon  his  firstborn,  and  the  Hivite,  and  the  Arkite 
and  the  Sinite,  and  the  Arvadite,  and  the  Zemarite,  and  the  Hamathite." 


HIS  ethnological  record  in  the  tenth  chapter 

of  Genesis,  the  most  ancient  in  existence, 

gives  us    the  earliest   account   of  the  Phoenician 

aborigines.       Hamath,    on    the     north-east,    and 

Accho  (Acre),  on  the  south-west,  were  the  extreme 

borders   of   ancient    Phoenicia.       The    Sidonians 

occupied  the  coast  from  Gebal,   or  Byblos,   the  modern 

Jebeil,  on  the  north,  as  far  as  Accho,  or  Acre,  on  the 

south.     One  division  of  the  Hivites  occupied  Shechem 

and  Gibeon,  and  the  other  the  chain  of  Anti-Lebanon 

from   Baal   Hermon  to  Hamath.     The  Arkites  lived  in 

the  plain  north  of  Lebanon,  between  the  mountains  of 

Akkar  and  the  Nahr  el  Kebir,  their  name  still  remaining 


HASRUN,    A    MARONITE   VILLAGE 
Of  North  Lebanon,  on  the  summit  of  a  precipice  on  the 

south  side  of  the  gorge  of  the  Kadisha  (the  sacred    .        ,        t>    n  i  c   A  _1  ~ 

river).  in  the  Tell  and  river  ot  Arka 


VOL.   III. 


i) 


2  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

One  of  the  most  striking  historic  names  in  Northern  Syria  is  Kul'at  Kadmus,  about  twelve 
hours  south-east  of  Ladakiyeh,  probably  the  former  home  of  Cadmus,  who  first  brought  letters 
into  Greece. 

In  prosecuting  our  journey  through  Phoenicia  from  north  to  south  we  will  begin  at  the 
northernmost  relic  of  Phoenician  architecture  in  Syria,  the  secluded  "  Husn  Suleiman."  In 
company  with  the  Rev.  S.  Jessup,  of  Tripoli,  and  Professor  Dodge,  of  the  S.  P.  College  in  Beirut, 
we  visited  this  then  unexplored  and  comparatively  unknown  ruin  a  few  years  since.  We  spent 
Tuesday  night  at  Mahardee,  near  the  castle  of  Seijar,  on  the  Orontes,  north-west  of  Hamath ; 
and  on  Wednesday  took  a  south-west  course  to  the  foot  of  the  Nusairiyeh  mountain  range, 
then  ascended  a  rocky  precipitous  steep,  several  hundred  feet  in  height,  through  tangled  forests 
of  oak,  to  the  summit  of  the  range  near  'Ain  esh  Shems,  or  Fountain  of  the  Sun.  Farther  to 
the  west  we  rode  down  a  narrow  valley  to  'Ain  ez  Zahib,  or  Gold  Fountain,  and  then  turning 
southward  over  a  high  rounded  ridge,  came  suddenly  in  sight  of  the  green  secluded  vale  in  the 
midst  of  which  stand  in  weird  solitude  the  ruins  of"  Husn  Suleiman."  The  ruin  is  of  unknown 
origin  and  of  great  antiquity.  Like  Baalbek,  it  is  of  three  styles  of  architecture,  the  colossal 
Phoenician,  the  Greek,  and  that  of  the  Crusaders.  There  are  two  quadrangular  courts  a  short 
distance  from  each  other  and  quite  distinct.  The  southern  or  larger  one  is  a  rectangle  of  four 
hundred  and  fifty  feet  long  by  two  hundred  and  eighty  feet  wide,  with  a  wall  formerly  forty 
feet  in  height.  In  the  centre  of  each  side  is  a  great  portal  ten  feet  wide,  twenty  feet  high, 
and  eight  feet  thick.  On  the  soffit  of  the  east  and  west  portals  is  an  immense  eagle  with 
a  caduceus  in  his  talons  and  a  retreating  Ganymede  on  either  side.  The  work  resembles 
that  at  Ba'albek,  but  is  far  less  elaborate.  We  spent  six  hours  in  sketching  the  ruins,  and 
the  engravings  from  these  hasty  sketches  (in  the  Second  Statement  of  the  American  Palestine 
Exploration  Society)  were  the  first  pictures  of  the  ruins  published  in  Europe  and  America. 
The  lintel  over  the  eastern  gate  is  a  monolith  twenty-one  feet  long,  ten  feet  wide,  and  five  feet 
high.  It  is  chastely  carved  with  a  cornice  of  dice  and  flowers,  with  a  king's  head  in  the  centre. 
On  each  end  is  a  winged  image  in  high  relief,  draped  from  the  waist  down,  supporting  the 
upper  portion  of  the  cornice  on  his  shoulders,  the  arms  being  uplifted.  At  the  bottom  of  the 
cornice  is  a  Greek  inscription,  which  reads  somewhat  thus  :  "  Theobaitus  possessed  it.  Servants 
of  his  household  built  it  in  the  682nd  year."  The  cornice  of  the  western  portal  has  alternate 
dice,  flowers,  and  grotesque  faces  in  relief.  The  lintel  of  the  east  gate  alone  remains  perfect ; 
the  western  is  broken  in  two  pieces,  the  northern  in  three,  and  the  southern  has  fallen. 

Inside  the  northern  portal,  on  a  tablet  six  feet  by  three,  is  an  inscription  in  Greek  and 
Latin.  The  Latin  inscription  has  been  translated  by  Dr.  Ward.  It  states  that  the  Emperor 
Valerianus  and  his  son  Gallienus  and  grandson  Saloninus  intrusted  the  province  of  Asia  to 
Marcus  Aurelius  and  others,  &c,  commanding  them  to  see  that  the  distant  kingdoms  over 
against  the  turbulent  Parthians  remain  to  them  intact.  The  date  is  between  253  a.d.  and 
259  a.d.,  but  the  inscription  is  evidently  of  far  later  date  than  the  building,  and  was  not 
improbably  cut  in  a  tablet  from  which  an  older  inscription  had  been  effaced. 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON.  3 

The  rectangle  is  built  of  huge  stones,  the  largest  of  which  on  the  north-east  corner  is  thirty 
feet  long,  nine  feet  nine  inches  high,  and  four  feet  seven  inches  wide,  and  at  an  elevation  of 
thirty  feet  from  the  ground  on  the  inside.  The  most  of  the  stones  are  of  similar  dimensions, 
some  thicker  and  narrower  and  some  shorter  and  wider.  Those  on  the  south  side  have  a  wide 
coarse  level  or  draft,  and  unfinished  attempts  at  a  moulding  on  the  top  of  some  of  them. 

The  quarry  is  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  a  few  rods  from  the  north-east  corner.  The  north- 
east corner  block  has  a  rude  lion  carved  in  high  relief  on  its  northern  face.  The  corresponding 
block  on  the  north-western  corner  has  a  lion  standing  by  a  cypress  tree.  This  style  of  rude 
ornament  is  still  in  use  among  the  Syrian  stonemasons,  and  even  the  Arab  women  use  the  lion 
and  cypress  tree  in  decorating  the  interior  mud  walls  of  their  rude  houses.  On  both  the  inner 
and  outer  sides  of  the  north  portal  are  niches  with  canopies  for  statues.  On  the  inside  was 
once  a  portico  forty-five  feet  wide  and  seventeen  feet  deep.  Its  roof  and  columns  are  fallen  and 
mostly  buried  beneath  the  debris.  The  capitals  of  the  pilasters  on  the  main  wall  are  early 
Corinthian. 

In  the  southern  central  part  of  the  rectangular  area  is  the  Ionic  temple,  its  cella  being  seventy- 
five  feet  by  forty-five  feet.  To  the  north  are  two  flights  of  steps  of  the  width  of  the  temple, 
covering  a  space  sixty  feet  in  length  northward.  The  temple  is  built  of  the  same  light- 
coloured  limestone  with  the  court,  but  the  blocks  are  much  smaller,  varying  from  six  to  ten  feet 
long,  and  from  three  to  four  feet  in  breadth  and  thickness.  It  is  surrounded  by  half  columns, 
which  become  at  the  corners  three-quarter  columns.  There  are  four  at  the  south  end  and 
five  on  each  side,  all  being  three  feet  five  inches  in  diameter  and  twenty-seven  feet  high.  In 
the  interior  lie  piles  of  fallen  blocks  and  half  columns  in  utter  confusion.  In  the  winter  a  fine 
fountain  gushes  out  from  under  it,  and  in  its  original  state  the  fountain  was  doubtless,  as  at 
Fijeh  (see  page  202,  vol.  ii.)  and  Afka  (Apheca)  (see  page  16),  the  attractive  feature  of  the 
spot,  and  connected  with  the  worship  of  those  ancient  days,  now  so  completely  enwrapped  in 
mystery.  The  water  is  sweet,  cold,  and  pure ;  it  escapes  from  beneath  the  western  wall  of  the 
enceinte,  its  former  place  of  exit  being  buried  beneath  the  debris. 

The  northern  ruin  is  also  a  rectangular  enclosure,  standing  north-west  of  the  great  court, 
and  at  an  angle  with  it.  It  contained  several  small  temples,  one  on  the  south-east  corner, 
another  at  the  south-west  corner,  and  one  outside  the  western  wall  forty-five  feet  by  fifteen  feet. 
Behind  the  platform  at  the  south-west  corner  are  the  pedestals  of  numerous  columns,  which 
may  have  surrounded  the  cella  of  a  temple  whose  portico  occupied  the  platform.  The  little 
temple  on  the  south-east  corner  has  a  portico  thirteen  feet  by  twenty-six  feet,  and  twenty  feet 
high,  now  in  ruins,  and  a  vestibule  twenty-six  feet  by  forty  feet.  The  portal  between  them  is  seven 
feet  wide  by  ten  feet  high,  its  lintel  being  a  monolith  thirteen  feet  long,  having  an  unfinished 
moulding  and  cornice,  with  an  egg  cornice  under  the  dice  and  flowers  common  to  the  portals  of 
the  great  court,  and  a  spread  eagle  above.  The  stone  above  the  lintel  is  fifteen  feet  long. 
The  stones  are  laid  up  without  mortar,  and  beautifully  joined,  like  those  in  Baalbek  and 
Palmyra.     The  only  building  laid  up  in  mortar  is  the  ruined  Crusaders'  Church  on  the  eastern 


4  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

side,  with  its  apse  towards  the  north-east.  A  semicircular  projection  of  the  northern  wall  would 
indicate  the  apse  of  some  former  edifice  within  the  wall  at  that  point. 

The  whole  mass  of  ruins  is  a  mystery.  It  was  evidently  one  of  the  holy  places  of  the 
Arvadites,  at  once  a  temple  and  a  stronghold.  M.  Ray,  of  Paris,  in  his  report  on  the  remains 
of  the  military  architecture  of  the  Crusaders  in  Syria,  styles  this  place  the  best  specimen  of 
TEfievo^  that  exists  in  Syria.  Its  name,  "  Solomon's  Fortress,"  would  indicate  the  prevailing 
ancient  tradition  as  to  its  origin.  The  whole  Arab  race  believe  Baalbek  (see  page  215,  vol.  ii.) 
and  Tudmur  (Palmyra)  (see  page  191,  vol.  ii.)  to  be  the  work  of  Solomon  aided  by  the  genii, 
and  this  Phoenician  quadrangle  very  naturally  bears  his  name.  It  is  not  impossible  that 
when  Solomon  went  to  Hamath  Zobah  and  built  store  cities  or  magazines  for  storing  grain  in 
this  district,  his  men  may  have  made  this  a  store  city.  .The  word  Hamath  means  Husn, 
or  fortress,  and  the  fame  of  Solomon  must  have  extended  through  this  entire  region,  then 
inhabited  by  the  Phoenicians  and  Hittites;  and  it  is  no  improbable  supposition  that  this 
retired  and  almost  inaccessible  spot  may  have  been  selected  as  a  stronghold  in  which  to  store 
grain  for  his  subjects  in  Northern  Syria,  or  even  as  a  military  fortress.  The  small  temples 
were  probably  of  much  later  date. 

Leaving  this  lovely  valley  we  rode  to  Burj  Safita,  the  "  Castel  Blanc  "  of  the  Crusaders,  and 
now,  with  its  Protestant  church  and  schools,  a  veritable  white  spot  in  this  dark  mountain. 
Thence,  on  the  1st  of  June,  we  rode  down  for  six  hours  over  the  undulating  chalk  hills  towards 
the  coast,  when  suddenly  we  came  upon  the  modern  town  of  Tartus,  the  ancient  Antaradus 
of  the  Phoenicians.  The  town  contains  about  one  thousand  five  hundred  people,  four-fifths 
Muslims  and  one-fifth  Greek  Christians.  The  majority  of  the  people  live  within  the  walls  of 
the  castle,  an  immense  structure,  whose  vaulted  halls  and  chapels,  built  by  the  Crusaders,  are 
still  in  excellent  preservation.  The  castle  stands  on  the  seashore,  protected  from  the  waves 
by  a  massive  sloping  buttress.  On  the  land  side  the  castle  was  surrounded  by  two  walls  and 
two  moats,  one  between  the  walls  and  one  beyond.  These  are  in  fine  preservation,  especially 
on  the  north-east  side.  The  ancient  structures  are  solid  and  beautiful,  the  modern  of  the  most 
abject  character. 

Taking  the  Arab  shakhtiir,  or  sloop,  which  plies  between  the  town  and  its  insular  sister, 
we  sail  across  the  two  and  a  half  miles  of  sea  to  the  ancient  island  of  Arvad,  now  Ruad.  This 
island  is  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in  circumference,  with  a  population  of  two  thousand.  It  was 
surrounded  by  a  wall  intended  to  serve  as  a  fortification,  and  a  dyke  to  protect  the  town  from 
the  sea.  A  portion  of  the  wall  still  remains,  composed  of  blocks  of  stone  from  fifteen  to  twenty 
feet  in  length.  The  finely  drafted  stones  indicate  its  Phoenician  origin.  The  rock  interior  is 
full  of  cisterns  to  supply  water  to  the  inhabitants.  The  inscriptions  in  Greek  begin  with  the 
words,  "  The  Senate  and  People,"  &c.  On  the  north-east  side  was  the  harbour,  formed  by  two 
moles  built  of  immense  stones  brought  from  the  quarries  at  'Amrit.  The  present  population 
are  chiefly  fishermen,  whose  boats  supply  fish  to  Ladaktyeh,  Tripoli,  and  even  Beirut,  and  carry 
lumber  from  Mounts  Casius  and  Amanus  to  the  cities  of  Southern  Phoenicia. 


PHCEN1CIA  AND  LEBANON. 


1 


THE   VALLEY   OF  THE   KADlSHA    (THE   HOLY   RIVER), 
With  a  distant  view  of  the  Mediterranean  Sea  and  El  Mina  (Minet  Tarabalus),  the  port  of  Tripoli. 


VOL.   III. 


6  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

After  the  union  of  Arvad  with  the  Sidonians  it  still  retained  its  own  king  as  a  vassal  of 
the  Phoenician  monarch.  To  this  brave  and  hardy  insular  population,  who  vied  with  the 
Tyrians  and  Sidonians  for  the  palm  as  navigators  of  the  Mediterranean  and  Black  Seas, 
belonged  the  two  towns  opposite  on  the  coast,  Antaradus  (Tartus)  and  Marathus  ('Amrit), 
where  are  found  the  most  perfect,  important,  and  beautiful  remains  of  Phoenician  architecture. 

The  trip  to  Ruad  can  be  easily  made  in  the  summer  months,  and  generally  in  the  spring, 
unless  the  wind  blows  a  gale,  as  the  sailors  of  Ruad  are  skilful  and  perfectly  fearless. 

From  Tartus  we  rode  southward  along  the  coast  to  'Ain  el  Haiyeh  and  'Amrit.  It  was 
the  time  of  wheat  harvest.  The  whole  country  was  golden  yellow  with  the  ripened  or  newly 
harvested  grain,  and  the  muzzled  oxen  were  treading  out  the  corn  on  the  circular  earthen 
threshing  floors.  South-east  of  Tartus  stands  the  Cathedral  of  the  Crusaders,  a  fine  edifice 
one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  by  ninety-three  feet,  divided  into  nave  and  aisles  by  two  rows  of 
clustered  pillars.  As  is  usual  in  the  Syrian  cities,  this  grand  Christian  edifice  is  now  the 
property  of  the  Muslims,  and  we  found  a  Muslim  sheikh  seated  on  a  mat  teaching  a  dozen 
little  unwashed  boys  to  read  the  Koran.  It  is  partly  roofless,  but  not  an  utter  ruin.  It  is  a 
painful  and  interesting  sight,  yet  such  sights  abound  through  this  entire  region  from  Aleppo 
to  Tripoli. 

The  beautiful  lordly  castles  of  the  French  and  English  Crusaders,  with  their  Gothic 
chapels  and  spacious  halls,  are  now  turned  into  stables  or  filthy  hovels,  or  used  by  Turkish 
mudirs  and  their  zabties  and  servants. 

Leaving  the  Tartus  Cathedral,  we  reach  in  one  hour  the  ruins  of  'Amrit,  so  thoroughly 
explored  by  M.  Renan,  and  which  he  has  admirably  illustrated  in  the  plates  of  his  "  Mission 
de  Phcenice."  The  ruins  of 'Amrit  are  peculiar  and  striking,  being  the  most  perfect  Phoenician 
structures  in  Syria.  There  are  three  lofty  massive  monuments,  one  of  which  is  composed  of  a 
pedestal  sixteen  feet  square  and  six  feet  high,  with  sculptured  lions  at  the  corners  ;  on  this 
stands  a  monolithic  shaft  fourteen  feet  high.  The  second  has  a  pedestal  fifteen  feet  square  and 
ten  feet  high,  on  which  stands  a  huge  cylindrical  block,  and  the  whole  is  surmounted  by  a  cone- 
shaped  stone,  the  extreme  height  being  thirty-three  feet.  Beneath  each  structure  are  sepulchral 
chambers  hewn  in  the  rock,  with  loculi  of  a  large  size,  measuring  eight  and  a  half  by  three  and 
a  quarter  feet.  The  third  is  partially  destroyed.  Lenormant  regards  these  cone-shaped 
monuments  as  having  a  peculiar  meaning  in  the  ancient  Baal-worship — "  At  Paphos,  the  stone 
representing  Ashtoreth  was  of  a  conical  form."  In  the  island  of  Malta,  in  one  of  the  Phoenician 
sanctuaries,  was  a  very  lofty  semicircular  recess,  which  was  the  "  Holy  of  Holies,"  and  "  in 
Giganteja  there  was  found  in  this  recess  the  conical  stone  which,  as  at  Paphos,  was  the  emblem 
of  the  nature  goddess."  "  We  cannot  enter  here  on  an  explanation  of  the  brutal  and  obscene 
symbolism  that  was  the  origin  of  this  representation  of  the  divinity  by  a  conical  stone.  Two 
monoliths,  or  enormous  stone  cylinders,  terminated  at  the  summit  by  a  cone  or  a  rounded  cap, 
called  by  the  Arabs  of  our  day  '  mughazil '  (spindles),  were  placed  like  the  Egyptian  obelisks 
before  the  temple  of  Atargatis  at  Bambyce.     Probably  there  were  some  also  at  the  temple  of 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON.  7 

Melkarth  at  Tyre,  for  in  the  temple  of  Jerusalem  (an  exact  reproduction  of  its  arrangements), 
in  order  to  efface  all  vestiges  of  a  symbolism  so  contrary  to  the  spirit  of  the  worship  of  Jehovah, 
they  were  replaced  by  the  two  columns  with  bronze  capitals,  Jachin  and  Boaz.  Three 
monoliths  of  the  same  type  are  still  to  be  seen  among  the  ruins  of  Marothus  ('Amrit)." 

It  is  probably  impossible  for  one  in  our  day  to  imagine  the  depth  of  immorality  and 
abominable  licentiousness  which  was  inwrought  in  the  very  spirit  and  fibre  of  the  old  Phoenician 
Baal-worship. 

"  .  .  .  .  Baal  next,  and  Ashtaroth, 
And  all  the  idolatries  of  heathen  round, 
Besides  their  other  worse  than  heathenish  crimes." 

Around  their  religious  system  gathered,  in.  the  external  and  public  worship,  a  host  of 
frightful  debaucheries,  orgies,  and  prostitutions  in  honour  of  the  deities,  such  as  accompanied  all 
the  naturalistic  religions  of  antiquity.  Creuzer,  as  quoted  by  Lenormant,  says,  "  This  religion 
silenced  all  the  best  feelings  of  human  nature,  degraded  men's  minds  by  a  superstition 
alternately  cruel  and  profligate,  and  we  may  seek  in  vain  for  any  influence  for  good  it  could 
have  exercised  on  the  nation."  Their  human  sacrifices  to  Baal  Moloch  were  followed  by 
feasts  in  which  deep  sorrow  and  frantic  joy  alternated.  The  Phoenicians  are  described  by 
ancient  writers  as  both  unruly  and  servile,  gloomy  and  cruel,  corrupt  and  ferocious,  selfish  and 
covetous,  implacable  and  faithless.  It  is  well  for  us  to  have  these  peculiarities  of  the  old  Baal- 
worship  in  mind  as  we  are  proceeding  on  our  journey  south  through  the  maritime  cities,  the 
Lebanon  strongholds,  and  the  characteristic  temples  of  the  ancient  Phoenicians. 

Just  to  the  north  of  the  three  conical  symbolic  shafts  of  'Amrit  is  the  extraordinary  rock- 
hewn  temple  of  " ' Ain  el  Haiyeh,"  or  Serpent  Fountain.  The  name  is  appropriate  to  the  place, 
for  no  part  of  Syria  is  more  infested  with  venomous  serpents  than  these  cretaceous  hills  along 
the  coast  of  the  Arvadites.  On  every  journey  in  this  region  we  hear  stories  of  their  ravages. 
While  riding  ahead  of  my  companions  near  this  very  temple  I  heard  a  sudden  rustling  in  the 
wheat  stubble ;  my  horse  started  back,  and  I  saw  a  repulsive-looking  snake  about  two  feet  in 
length,  of  a  dark  yellow  hue,  and  about  as  thick  as  my  wrist  from  head  to  tail,  floundering  along 
towards  a  rejmeh,  or  stone  heap.  The  boy  with  us  exclaimed,  "Beware,  a  serpent!"  It 
was  of  the  most  venomous  character.  Michaud  relates,  in  the  history  of  the  Eighteenth 
Crusade,  that  when  the  Christian  army  remained  three  days  on  the  banks  of  the  river 
Eleuctera  (Nahr  el  Kebir),  fifteen  miles  south  of  'Amrit,  they  were  assailed  by  serpents  called 
tarenta,  whose  bite  produced  death.  The  Crusaders  were  stricken  with  terror,  but  the  remedy 
proposed  by  the  natives  surprised  them  even  more.  It  was  of  a  nature  so  vile  as  to  remind 
one  of  the  abominable  rites  of  the  ancient  Baal-worshippers  of  the  same  plains. 

On  the  north-east  of  the  fountain  is  an  excavation  a  quarter  of  a  mile  long,  cut  in  the  rock, 
ninety  feet  wide  at  the  top,  descending  in  steps  to  the  bottom.  The  rock-hewn  temple  consists 
of  a  court  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  square,  cut  nine  feet  deep  from  the  ledge  of  rocks,  smoothly 
hewn  on  the  floor,  the  north  side  being  cut  away  to  form  an  opening  towards  the  stream.  In 
the  middle  of  the  northern  opening  a  square  block  of  the  native  rock  is  left,  sixteen  and  a 

c  2 


8 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


half  feet  square   and   nine  feet  high.     Cn  this  are  four   huge   blocks   of  stone,  one  at  each 
side,  one  at  the  back,  and  over  them  a  colossal  mass  fourteen  feet  by  twelve  and  a  half  feet, 


CONVENT  OF  THE   MULLAWIYEH,   OR   DANCING   DERVISHES,   TRIPOLI, 

With  a  distant  view  of  the  snow-crowned  summits  of  Lebanon.    In  the  foreground  flows  the  Kadisha  (the  sacred  river),  called  also  Nahr  Abu  Ali. 

On  the  pathway  may  be  seen  a  water-wheel  and  two  millstones. 

and  seven  feet  thick,  concave  below,  forming  a  canopy  over  this  immense  throne.      Here 
once  sat  the  chief  idol  of  the  Arvadites.      Around  the  ruins  are  ancient  sarcophagi,  ruined 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON.  9 

walls,  and  signs  of  an  ancient  town.  The  site  is  beautiful.  To  the  south  the  green  plain  of 
Akkar  extends  for  miles,  sweeping  around  the  curving  level  shore  in  graceful  perspective  to 
the  cape  and  islands  of  Tripoli,  thirty  miles  away.       Beyond,  to  the  south-east,  rise  the  snow- 


THE   CASTLE   OF  TRIPOLI,   A   STRONGHOLD   OF  THE   CRUSADERS. 
It  was  converted  into  an  imperial  penitentiary  by  Midhat  Pasha,  when  he  was  Governor-General  of  Syria.     It  stands  on  a  narrow  ridge,  which 

slopes  on  the  west  towards  the  town,  and  on  the  east  to  the  bed  of  the  Kadisha. 

crowned  summits  of  Northern  Lebanon  (see  page  8),  while  to  the  west  sparkle  the  blue  waters 
of  the  Bahr  er  Rum,  "  Sea  of  the  Greeks  "  (the  Mediterranean)  (see  page  5). 

Three  hours  south  of  Tartus  a  magnificent  fountain  of  crystal  water  rises  up  from  a  circular 
basin,  about  twenty  rods  from  the  seashore,  and  flows  down  in  full  volume  to  mingle  its  waters 
with  the  sea.  This  is  the  famous  'Ain  el  Hishy,  notorious  for  ages  as  the  resort  of  highwaymen 
and  cut-throats,  who  hid  themselves  in,  the  low  copse  along  the  shore  and  waylaid  the  passing 


io  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

traveller.  The  Turkish  Tartar  postmen,  however  well  armed,  were  often  shot  by  Nusairiyeh 
brigands  in  these  dreary  thickets.  At  the  time  of  our  visit  a  Greek  merchant  had  built  a  house 
and  was  living  here,  and  we  spent  the  night  unmolested.  Not  the  least  interesting  feature  in 
this  region  is  the  people  who  now  inhabit  it— the  Nusairiyeh.  They  are  justly  regarded  as  the 
descendants  of  the  old  Canaanites,  never  converted  to  Judaism,  Christianity,  or  Islamism,  but 
retaining  the  old  Baal  and  star  worship  of  the  Canaanites,  with  their  sacred  shrines  in  groves  on 
"  every  high  hill,"  and  at  the  same  time  having  borrowed  various  features  from  both  Christians, 
Muslims,  and  Jews.  AH  is  their  God.  When  they  speak  of  Allah  they  always  mean  Ali.  They 
practise  circumcision,  use  wine  at  their  sacrament,  a  secret  rite  bound  by  terrific  oaths,  and  their 
principal  prayer  is  a  series  of  dire  curses  upon  all  other  sects.  Their  present  name  was  derived 
from  Abu  Shuaib  ibn  Nusair  in  840  a.d.  They  are  a  secret  society  with  mysterious  signs  and 
passwords.  When  one  of  the  initiated  dies  they  believe  that  Mars  or  Jupiter  descends  and 
takes  his  soul  to  the  sky,  where  it  becomes  a  star  in  the  "  Darub  et  tibban,"  the  "  Milky  Way." 
They  believe  in  transmigration,  and  that  the  souls  of  Muslims  pass  into  donkeys,  of  Christians 
into  swine,  of  Jews  into  monkeys,  and  of  Nusairiyeh  into  other  men.  Women  are  not  allowed 
to  be  initiated  into  their  secret  rites,  nor  even  attend  their  worship.  "  Devils  were  created 
from  the  sins  of  men,  and  women  from  the  sins  of  devils."  The  soul  leaves  the  body  through 
the  mouth,  and  hence  death  by  hanging  is  regarded  by  them  with  horror.  The  Turks  look 
upon  them  as  Kafirs,  or  infidels,  and  hence  for  ages  have  persecuted  and  oppressed  them  in  the 
most  cruel  manner,  driving  them  to  desperation.  Blood  revenge  and  highway  robbery  are 
common.  At  present  they  are  somewhat  better  treated,  but  their  fertile  mountains  have  been 
turned  almost  into  a  wilderness.  Native  writers  on  the  Nusairy  religion  insist  that  the  initiated 
sheikhs  offer  their  wives  to  their  guests  when  visiting  each  other,  but  this  is  not  confirmed  by 
credible  testimony.  Physically  they  are  a  fine  race.  Some  of  their  sheikhs  are  men  of 
splendid  personal  appearance,  and  their  girls  and  boys  who  have  enjoyed  the  advantages  of 
education  in  the  Christian  schools  at  Ladikiyeh  have  proved  themselves  equal  to  any  class 
of  Syrian  Arabs  in  intellect  and  capacity. 

South  of  Tartus  we  meet  but  few  villages  of  the  Nusairiyeh,  and  on  entering  the  Lebanon 
district  beyond  Tripoli  we  find  only  a  Mohammedan,  Christian,  and  Druse  population. 
Crossing  the  broad  and  fertile  plain  of  Akkar,  we  reach  Tell  Arka,  on  a  river  of  the  same 
name,  where  dwelt  the  Arkites.  The  Tell  is  evidently  the  site  of  the  old  Arkite  capital. 
Fragments  of  columns,  sarcophagi,  and  blocks  of  stone  lie  scattered  on  the  slope  and  in  the 
deep  rocky  gorge  of  the  river.  A  four  hours'  ride  from  this  point  takes  us  along  the  seashore, 
across  the  Nahr  el  Barid,  and  thence  to  the  famous  "  'Ain  el  Bedawy,"  or  "  Sheikh  el 
Bedawy,"  known  as  the  "  Mosque  of  the  Sacred  Fish."  Just  below  the  road,  down  a  grassy 
slope  and  on  the  edge  of  the  rich  green  gardens  and  orchards  of  the  Tripoli  plain,  is  a  circular 
birkeh,  or  pool,  into  which  flows  the  clear  sweet  water  of  a  fine  fountain.  The  pool  is  about 
one  hundred  feet  in  diameter,  and  the  water  two  or  three  feet  in  depth.  In  it  are  hundreds  of 
fat  light-coloured  fish,  from  three  to  twenty  inches  in  length,  resembling  river  bass.     They  are 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


ii 


fed  by  visitors  to  the  mosque,  who  come  from  Tripoli,  three   miles   distant,  and  from    the 
surrounding  region  on  the  religious  fete  days  to  make  vows  at  the  shrine  of  Sheikh  el  Bedawy, 


THE  CASTLE  OF  MUSEILIHAH   ("PLACE  OF  WEAPONS"). 
It  stands  on  a  precipitous  rock  by  the  Nahr  el  Jozeh,  in  the  middle  of  a  wooded  valley,  and  commands  the  pass.      It  was  until  recently  occupied 

by  a  band  of  brigands,  the  terror  of  travellers. 

or  receive  a  blessing  from  the  sacred  fish.     These  fish  are  regarded  as  inhabited  by  human 
souls,  and  killing  them  is  looked  upon  as  murder.     The  Muslims  say  that  during  the  Russian 


12 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


War  not  a  few  of  them  disappeared  and  went  under  the  sea  to  fight  the  Russians.  They  claim 
that  any  one  eating  them  will  speedily  die,  but  as  I  ate  of  them  more  than  twenty  years  ago  in 
the  house  of  a  Greek  aristocratic  family  in  Tripoli,  I  can  confidently  deny  the  assertion.  The 
ride  from  this  point  to  Tripoli  is  a  delightful  one.  With  dense  olive  orchards  on  the  right  towards 
the  sea,  and  fig  and  mulberry  gardens  on  the  left,  we  ride  along  the  level  macadamised  road, 
the  white  roofs,  domes,  and  minarets  of  Tripoli  gradually  rising  in  the  foreground,  until  our 
horses'  hoofs  clatter  on  the  pavement  at  Bab  et  Tibbaneh,  and  we  enter  this  peculiarly  Oriental 


Scale    of    ib.soo.ooo 


"5oSft^T5w7^vToc3S 


city.  It  seems  a  strange  and  sudden  transition  to  glance  from  the  ancient  khans,  Muslim 
tombs,  vaulted  streets,  and  crowding  throngs  of  Bedawin  and  Nusairiyeh  cameleers  to  the 
brilliantly  painted  and  gilded  cars  of  the  Tripoli  tramway,  which  here  has  its  eastern  terminus. 
It  is  the  East  and  the  West  in  conjunction,  the  Syria  of  the  past  and  the  Syria  of  the  future. 
Tripoli  was  probably  founded  about  700  B.C.,  but  it  has  no  continuous  history.  The  Seleucidan 
prince,  Demetrius  I.,  erected  a  palace  here,  which  was  succeeded  by  splendid  edifices  erected  by 
the  Romans,  but  owing  to  frequent  and  destructive  earthquakes  few  traces  of  the  ancient  city 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


13 


remain.      The  Muslims  occupied   the  town   at   the    time   of  the    Islamic  invasion,  but    the 


THE    NATURAL    BRIDGE   OF  AKURA. 

In   front  of  a  vast    cavern  from  which  issues  a  stream  called  the  Neb'a   Ruweis,  a 
tributary  of  the  Adonis  (Nahr  Ibrahim). 


Crusaders  failed  to  capture  it  until  five  years  after  their 
arrival  at  Antioch  in  1 104.  When  the  Christian  army 
finally  took  the  city,  a  valuable  library  of  one  hundred 
thousand  volumes  was  destroyed.  This  famous  library, 
celebrated  through  all  the  East,  contained  the  monuments 
of  the  ancient  literature  of  the  Persians,  the  Arabs,  the 

VOL.  III.  D 


i4  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Egyptians,  and  the  Greeks.  A  hundred  copyists  were  constantly  employed  in  transcribing 
manuscripts.  The  Kadi  sent  into  all  countries  men  authorised  to  purchase  rare  and  precious 
books. 

After  the  taking  of  the  city  a  priest  attached  to  Count  Bernard  de  St.  Gilles  entered  the 
room  in  which  were  collected  a  vast  number  of  copies  of  the  Koran,  and  as  he  declared  that 
"  the  library  of  Tripoli  contained  only  the  impious  books  of  Mohammed,"  it  was  given  up 
to  the  flames.  Ibn  Abu  Tai  says  that  the  library  contained  three  million  volumes,  and  that  the 
Christians  exhibited  at  the  taking  of  Tripoli  the  same  destructive  fury  as  the  Arabs  had  done 
who  burned  the  library  of  Alexandria.  Novairy  fixes  the  number  of  volumes  at  one  hundred 
thousand. 

In  1289,  when  the  city  was  destroyed  by  the  Sultan  Kilawun,  it  was  said  to  have 
contained  four  thousand  looms  for  the  weaving  of  silk,  and  the  zinndr  Tarabulusy,  or  Tripoli 
silk  girdle,  is  famous  even  to  the  present  day.  The  Arabs  call  the  city  Tarabulus,  the  Arabic 
form  of  Tripoli.  The  Turks  usually  speak  of  it  as  "  Kochuk  Sham  "  (Little  Damascus),  and 
it  is  well  worthy  of  the  name.  It  stands  on  the  eastern  extremity  of  the  triangular  plain,  a 
mile  wide,  at  the  base  of  the  elevated  plateau  called  El  Kura,  from  one  hundred  to  three 
hundred  feet  high,  which  reaches  to  the  foot  of  the  Lebanon  range  (see  page  5). 

The  sacred  river  Kadisha,  which  rises  at  Bsherreh,  just  under  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  (see 
page  237,  vol.  ii.),  runs  twelve  miles  through  a  wild  ravine  to  the  plain,  then  cuts  through  the 
plateau  for  eighteen  miles  in  a  deep  gorge  to  Tripoli  (see  pages  1  and  5),  where  it  breaks  out 
into  the  level  plain,  forming  a  tortuous  and  picturesque  valley,  at  the  mouth  of  which,  on 
both  sides  of  the  river,  the  city  of  Tripoli  is  built  (see  pages  8  and  9).  The  roaring  Kadisha, 
called  by  the  Muslims  Abu  Ali,  runs  through  the  city,  crossed  by  two  stone  bridges,  besides 
the  new  bridge  of  a  tramway  farther  down  the  stream.  On  the  right  bank,  the  houses  on  the 
hill  are  chiefly  rough  structures  of  the  Maronite  fellahin  ;  those  below,  between  the  river  and 
the  Bab  Tibbaneh,  being  Muslim.  The  Christian  quarter  is  on  the  left  side  of  the  river,  and 
stretching  far  to  the  southern  Blacksmith's  Gate  is  the  populous  Muslim  quarter.  The  population 
consists  of  twelve  thousand  Muslims,  four  thousand  Greek  Christians,  five  hundred  Maronites, 
and  a  few  Protestants,  Papal  Greeks,  and  Jews.  These  sects  live  in  distinct  quarters,  and  the 
different  trades  of  the  city,  as  in  Damascus,  occupy  separate  streets. 

From  a  fine  fountain  five  miles  south-east  of  the  city,  the  water  of  the  Zghorta  river  is 
brought  in  an  aqueduct,  which  crosses  the  Kadisha  a  mile  from  the  city  on  the  Kunatir  el 
Brins,  or  Prince's  Arches,  a  structure  dating  back  to  Raymond  of  Toulouse,  Count  of  Tripoli. 
The  distributing  reservoir  is  a  small  room  below  the  castle,  whose  floor  is  punctured  with 
holes  a  few  inches  in  diameter,  through  which  the  water  flows  in  earthen  pipes  to  all  parts  of 
the  city.  Every  house,  mosque,  and  khan  has  its  anbilb  and  birkeh,  in  which  the  water  runs 
constantly  day  and  night,  giving  a  cheerful  aspect  to  the  houses,  refreshing  in  summer,  but 
chilling  and  clamp  in  the  winter.  The  houses  are  built  of  the  yellow  porous  sandstone  from 
the  reefs  along  the  seashore,  and  there  are  few  dry  houses  in  the  city.     The  ground  floors  are 


PHOENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


J5 


often  green  with  damp  and  mould,  and 
the  entire  population,  with  the  exception 
of  the  poorer  classes,  sleep  on  the  second 
floor.     The  city  is  well  paved,  and  many 
of  the  streets  are  arched  over,  so  that, 
as  in  Sidon  and  intramural  Beirut,  they 
have  the  appearance  of  vaulted  tunnels. 
Over  the  door  of  the  Hammam  el  Jedid 
is  a  curious  stone  chain.     The  keystone 
of  the   arch,   two   arch   stones   midway 
down   the   arch,  the   huge   links  of  the 
chain,  and  a  massive  stone  tassel  hansrino- 
in  the  middle,  are  all  carved  from  one 
block    of    stone.       Not    a    few    quaint 
Saracenic  arches  and  doorways  can  be 
seen  in  various  parts  of  the  city.    Among 
the  objects  of  interest  is  the  well-pre- 
served castle  of  Raymond  of  Toulouse, 
recently  transformed  by  Midhat   Pasha 
into  an  imperial  penitentiary  (see  page 
9).      It  was  either  built  or  greatly  en- 
larged by  Raymond,  and  was  a  strong- 
hold of  the  Crusaders  for  one  hundred 
and  eighty  years  during  the  twelfth  and 
thirteenth    centuries.       Before    its   con- 
version  into   a  prison,  access  could   be 
obtained  to  the  charming  view  from  the 
top  of  its  walls.     On  the  east  you  look 
down  into  the  river  gorge,  with  its  roar- 
ing waters,  the    Mullawlyeh 
Convent,    and     the    orange 
groves,  with  snowy  Lebanon 
in   the  background    piercing 
the    clouds    (see     page    8). 
On    the    west,    the    verdant 
plain,    the    blue  sea   in    the 
distance,  its  shore  broken  by 
the    Mina,    or    marine    city, 

'  CLIFFS    OF   AKURA,  IN  THE   MOGHERIYE   VALLEY,   LEBANON. 

and  the  five  old  towers  along     Every  available  space  in  this  valley  is  cultivated.    On  the  ledges  of  the  cliffs  fruit-trees  flourish  and 

£>  wheat  is  grown. 


D    2 


i6 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


THE   FOUNTAIN   OF   AFKA   (APHECA). 

Source  of  the  Adonis  (Nahr  Ibrahim).  Close  to  this  spot 
are  the  remains  of  a  famous  Temple  of  Venus,  which 
was  destroyed  by  order  of  Constantine. 


the  northern  beach,  while  the  snow- 
white  roofs,  walls,  domes,  and  minarets 
of  the  city  form  the  foreground  at 
your  feet.  From  a  residence  of  several 
years  in  Tripoli,  I  can  testify  to  the 
ever-changing  beauty  of  its  scenery, 
the  lusciousness  of  its  fruits,  as  well  as 
the  courtesy  and  hospitality  of  the  better  portion  of 
its  people.    Passing  beyond  the  castle,  and  descend- 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


17 


THE  VALLEY   OF   THE   ADONIS   (NAHR   IBRAHIM). 
The  scenery  of  this  valley  is  not  surpassed  by  any  in  the  Lebanon.     The  hillsides  are  in  many  places  clothed  with  pines  and  oak-trees,  and 

groves  of  mulberry  and  fruit-trees  border  the  stream. 


1 8  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

ing  rapidly  into  the  gorge  of  the  river,  you  walk  for  a  few  minutes  among  trees  and  flowers 
and  murmuring  waters  to  the  convent  of  the  Mullawiyeh  dervishes,  who  perform  their  sacred 
dances  every  Friday  afternoon,  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year.  I  have  seen  it  crowded  with 
men  below  and  women  above  behind  the  latticed  screen,  when  eight  or  ten  of  the  dervishes 
whirled  in  the  literally  giddy  mazes  of  the  dance  for  two  hours,  until  the  performers  fell  on 
the  floor  exhausted,  and  the  audience  retired.  This  charming  spot  is  a' favourite  resort  of  the 
Tripolitans,  and  in  the  month  of  April,  when  the  orange  and  lemon  groves  below  and  around 
are  in  full  bloom,  and  the  air  filled  with  the  delicious  fragrance,  this  quiet  retreat  is  a  place 
one  never  wearies  of  visiting  (see  page  8). 

Between  the  mouth  of  the  Kadisha,  on  the  northern  shore,  and  El  Mina,  are  several  fine 
towers  of  cut  stone,  standing  like  sentinels  along  the  shore.  They  are  called  Burj  Ras  en 
Neb 'a,  Burj  es  Seb'a  (Lion's  Tower),  Burj  et  Takiyeh  (Traveller's  Rest),  Burj  el  Mugharibeh 
(Algerines),  and  Burj  esh  Sheikh  Affan.  These  are  evidently  mediaeval  structures,  and  were 
built  on  foundations  made  up  of  ancient  granite  columns  and  fragments  of  Greek  and  Roman 
edifices.     They  are  now  being  rapidly  razed,  to  supply  stone  for  more  modern  structures. 

El  Mina  (see  page  5)  has  a  population  of  seven  thousand,  chiefly  Greek  fishermen  and 
sponge-divers,  who  obtain  an  ample  livelihood  from  their  laborious  and  perilous  profession,  the 
sponge  crop  amounting  to  ,£20,000  a  year.  The  steel-tracked  tramway  from  Tripoli  passes 
down  the  broad  level  road  between  the  gardens  to  the  Mina  gate,  and  thence  to  the  seashore. 

The  modern  Tripolitans  are  proud  of  their  fine  scenery,  their  gardens  and  sparkling  waters, 
their  fruits  and  flowers,  their  sea  and  mountain  landscape.  The  Greco-Syrian  women  of  Tripoli 
are  noted  for  their  beauty,  and  not  a  few  of  them  are  acquiring,  through  education  in  Christian 
schools,  the  higher  charm  of  intellectual  and  moral  cultivation.  The  Boys'  High  School  and 
the  Female  Seminary,  on  the  American  mission  premises,  are  affording  the  youth  of  both  sexes 
good  advantages  for  education.  The  French  Sisters  of  Charity  have  also  an  institute  for  girls. 
The  Orthodox  Greeks  have  opened  schools,  and  the  Mohammedans  have  formed  a  "  Society  of 
Benevolent  Intentions"  to  maintain  schools  for  girls  and  boys:  The  proposed  railway  from 
this  point  to  Hums  (Emesa)  and  the  Euphrates  valley  will,  if  completed,  make  Tripoli  the  most 
important  commercial  port  on  the  entire  Syrian  coast. 

The  range  of  Lebanon,  extending  for  a  hundred  miles,  is  a  great  treasure-house  of  interest 
in  its  geology,  botany,  ethnology,  and  archaeology.  Its  lofty  summits,  its  frightful  chasms,  its 
deep  caverns  and  subterranean  lakes,  its  magnificent  fountains  and  cascades,  its  noble  cedars,  its 
vineyards,  walnut  and  olive  groves,  its  ruined  temples  and  nameless  vestiges  of  hoary  antiquity, 
its  monasteries,  churches,  khulwehs  (Druse  chapels),  and  palaces,  its  geological  structure,  its 
one  thousand  two  hundred  villages,  and  its  peculiarly  Oriental  population,  combine  to  make  it  a 
fruitful  theme  of  study,  alike  interesting  to  the  passing  traveller  and  the  most  scholarly  and 
patient  explorer.  Lebanon,  the  White  Mountain,  or  Mont  Blanc  of  Syria,  receives  its  name 
from  the  gleaming  white  limestone  rocks.  The  Arabs  divide  Lebanon  into  three  longitudinal 
belts  or  zones— the  Sahil,  the  Wasat,  and  the  Jird.      1st.  The  Sahil  is  the  littoral  or  maritime, 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


19 


which  we  may  call  the  Palm-tree  belt,  extending  from  the  sea-level  to  an  elevation  of  about  one 
thousand  five  hundred  feet.  On  this  belt  are  the  cities  of  modern  Phoenicia — Tripoli,  Jebeil, 
Beirut,  Sidon,  Tyre,  and  Acre.  It  is  the  most  fertile  in  soil,  salubrious  in  climate,  and 
attractive  in  scenery.  The  palm,  olive  and  mulberry,  orange,  pine,  lemon,  apricot,  oak,  peach, 
grape,  and  Pride  of  India  abound.  2nd.  The  Wasat,  or  medial  zone,  which  we  may  style  the 
Walnut  belt,  extends  from  an  elevation  of  one  thousand  five  hundred  feet  to  four  thousand 


feet  above  the  sea-level.      It 
is  a  highly  favoured  region,  noted 
for  its   numerous   villages,  its   silk 
"  filatures,"  and  monasteries.     Here 
the  bulk  of  the  population   reside, 
and  the  climate  is  one  of  the  finest 
in  the  world,  mild  both  in  winter  and 
summer.     3rd.  The  Jird,  or  Jiiriid,  the 
naked  summit  belt,  from  four  thousand 
feet  to  ten  thousand  feet  above  the  sea, 

which    We    may    Call    the    Cedar   belt,    in-  The  iron-stained  soil  of  the  sandstone  strata  is  annually  washed  down  into  the 

river  by  the  heavy  winter  rains,  and  the  discoloured  stream  can  be  traced  far 
eludes  the  redar  arnvps   matw  nf  tine  iVe  out  »i  the  blue  sea.    This  gave  rise  to  the  belief  that  the  river  was  tinged  with 

L1UUCS  me  Ceaar  groves,  many  OI  tne  ice-  the  blood  of  Adonis  every  year,  in  memory  of  his  death. 

cold    fountains,   and    the   great    desert 

solitudes  of  the  highest  ranges.     It  is  of  vast  extent,  running  for  a  hundred  miles  north  and 

south,  and  contains  some  of  the  finest  scenery  in  the  world,  although  scant  in  its  vegetation. 

Before  the  massacres  of  i860  Northern  Lebanon  was  under  a  Maronite  kaimakam,  and 
Southern  Lebanon  under  a  Druse,  an  arrangement  well  calculated  to  keep  the  population  in  a 


LEBANON  COAST  NEAR  THE   MOUTH   OF  THE  ADONIS  RIVER. 


20 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


THE  NATURAL  BRIDGE,   LEBANON. 

It  is  called  in  Arabic  "  Jisr  el  Hajr  "  (the  Bridge  of  Stone).    It  spans  the  chasm  through  -vhich  flows  the  Neb'a  el  Lebban  (Fountain  of  Milk), 

one  of  the  sources  of  the  Nahr  el  Kelb  (the  L'og  River). 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


21 


UNDER  THE   NATURAL   BRIDGE,   LEBANON. 
The  stream,  after  passing  under  the  bridge,  descends  the  mountain-side  through  a  glen  like  a  huge  fissure,  and  then  dashes  over  a  ledge  of  rock 


VOL.   III. 


in  sheets  of  foam. 
E 


22  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

ferment  and  to  obstruct  the  administration  of  justice.  The  Turks  were  determined  to  break  up 
this  European  compromise  and  place  an  Osmanli  pasha  over  the  whole  of  Lebanon.  The 
result  was  a  bloody  war,  the  frightful  horrors  of  Deir  el  Kamr,  Hasbeiya,  Rasheiya  (see  pages 
133  and  138,  vol.  ii.)  and  Damascus  (see  page  177,  vol.  ii.),  which  forced  the  intervention  of 
Europe,  and  resulted  in  the  new  Nizam  or  Reglement  of  Lebanon,  which  guarantees  a 
Christian  pasha  for  the  whole  mountain  under  the  joint  protectorate  of  the  six  European 
Powers.  Under  the  pasha  are  several  kaimakams,  generally  chosen  from  the  most  numerous 
sect  in  the  locality.  Rustem  Pasha  is  noted  for  his  uncompromising  hatred  of  bribery,  his 
even-handed  justice,  his  efforts  for  civilising  the  people,  and  for  road  and  bridge  building  in 
Southern  and  Central  Lebanon.  He  promises  like  improvements  in  this  well-nigh  roadless 
district  of  Northern  Lebanon. 

Before  ascending  eastward  to  the  cedar  amphitheatre,  let  us  cross  over  the  dazzling  white 
chalk  cliffs  of  Ras  esh  Shuk'ah  to  the  valley  of  Nahr  el  Jozeh  and  visit  the  rock  fortress  of 
El  Museilihah  (see  sketch  map,  page  1 2).  The  Tripoli  coast-road  to  Beirut  crosses  over  this 
lofty  promontory,  called  by  the  Greeks  Theou  Prosopon  (Cape  of  the  Divine  Countenance), 
and  down  its  southern  precipitous  face  on  a  slippery  road,  which  follows  the  deep  ravines  worn 
by  the  rains,  and  which  change  their  course  with  every  winter's  storm.  At  the  foot  of  this 
dangerous  descent  and  on  the  right  bank  of  the  Walnut  river,  "  Nahr  el  Jozeh,"  stands  on  an 
isolated  mass  of  cretaceous  limestone  the  ancient  "  Kul'at  el  Museilihah"  (see  page  11).  The 
name  signifies  "  The  Place  of  Weapons,"  and  there  is  probably  no  pass  in  Syria,  unless  it  be 
Wady  el  Kurn,  on  the  Damascus  road,  where  more  robberies  have  been  committed.  The 
castle  is  one  of  the  most  picturesque  in  the  East,  rising  abruptly  on  its  isolated  rock,  seemingly 
a  part  of  the  rock  itself,  surrounded  by  wide-spreading  trees  and  murmuring  waters,  and 
overhung  by  lofty  and  precipitous  chalk  cliffs. 

We  now  cross  the  Kura  Plain  eastward  to  the  fine  village  of  Kesba,  plunge  into  the 
ravine  of  the  Kadisha,  and  begin  the  ascent  to  Ehden.  This  village  is  perched  on  a  lofty  spur 
of  the  Jird,  nearly  five  thousand  feet  above  the  sea,  and  commanding  one  of  the  sublimest 
landscape  views  in  Lebanon.  The  magnificent  fountain  at  Mar  Sarkis  sends  a  deep,  broad,  and 
crystal  stream  of  almost  ice-cold  water  through  and  around  the  village,  producing  a  luxuriant 
growth  of  walnut,  fir,  mulberry,  pine,  and  oak,  with  summer  vegetables  in  abundance ;  wheat, 
maize,  and  the  potato  being  largely  cultivated. 

Ehden,  or  Eden,  as  it  has  been  called,  is  the  paradise  of  the  Maronite  priests,  where,  as  in 
Bsherreh,  Hasrun,  and  Kesrawan,  they  hold  undisputed  sway ;  but,  under  the  impartial  rule  of 
the  present  pasha,  their  former  theocratic  and  despotic  civil  rule  over  the  people  has  been 
reduced  to  a  mere  religious  authority. 

Our  present  limits  will  not  allow  more  than  a  passing  allusion  to  the  history  of  the 
Maronite  sect,  now  the  dominant  one  in  Lebanon.  Their  name  is  derived  from  Mar  Marun,  a 
hermit  who  lived  in  the  Buka  a,  near  Neb'a  el  'Asy,  in  the  fifth  century.  His  followers  were 
condemned  by  the  Council  of  Constantinople,  a.d.  681,  as  holding  the  monothelite  heresy,  and, 
being  driven  from  the  cities  and  towns  of  Syria,  they  took  refuge  in  the  fastnesses  of  Lebanon. 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


23 


They  adhered  to  the  Papal  Church  in  1 182, 
and  now  pride  themselves  on  their  devotion 
to  the  Pope  of  Rome,  yet  it  was  not  until 
1438  that  they  consented  to  acknowledge 
the  supremacy  of  the  Pope  in  matters  of 
ecclesiastical  discipline.  Their  parish  priests 
are  married  men,  and  they  use  the  Syriac 
language  in  their  Church  Service.  Their 
patriarch  yields  only  in  dignity  to  the  Pope 
himself.  The  present  patriarch  is  Boulos 
(Paul)  Butros  Masaad,  taking  the  name 
Butros  (Peter)  as  an  official  title.  Under 
him  are  thirteen  bishops,  one  thousand 
priests,  one  thousand  two  hundred  monks, 
six  hundred  nuns,  and  seventy-one  monas- 
teries. The  Maronite  people  number  two 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand,  the  mass  of 
whom  are  grossly  ignorant.  The  immense 
revenues  of  the  monasteries  are  devoted 
to  the  support  of  the  monks  and  nuns  or 
the  private  emolument  of  a  few  who  control 
the  monastic  estates.  The  total  number  of 
monasteries  of  all  sects  in  Lebanon  is  one 
hundred  and  seventeen,  with  two  thousand 
five  hundred  monks  and  nuns. 

Ehden,  we  have  said,  is  a  typical 
Lebanon  village,  with  its  Dar  or  great  house, 
surrounded  by  the  flat  earth-roofed  stone 
tenements  of  the  peasantry,  its  numerous 
churches  with  their  clear-toned  bells,  its 
village  convent  at  Mar  Sarkis,  its  copious 
water,  its  primitive  oven,  consisting  of  a 
large  earthen  jar  sunk  in  the  ground,  its 
brawny  youth,  and  buxom  girls  with  their 
unique  head  ornaments  of  an  inverted  silver 
cup,  over  which  the  white  veil  is  thrown,  its 
comfortless  houses  in  which  the  people  sleep 
on  the  earthen  floors,  the  cattle,  goats,  and 
sheep  sharing  the  one  large  room  with  the 
husband,  wife,  sons,  and  daughters. 


THE   CHASM    OF   NEB'A   EL   LEBBAN. 
Just  above  the  Natural  Bridge  (Jisr  el  Hajr). 


E    2 


24 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


Yonder  village  of  Hasriin  (see  page  i)  is  noted  for  the  beauty  of  its  women  and  girls, 
many  of  whom,  for  a  wonder,  are  light-haired  and  blue-eyed. 

After  two  and  a  half  hours'  ride  over  the  undulating  moraines  which  extend  east  of  Ehden, 
and  form  the  curved  shelf  around  the  base  of  the  encircling  amphitheatre  of  giant  mountains,  we 
descry  on  our  right,  far  down  in  the  east  end  of  the  Kadisha  gorge,  the  large  crowded  village  of 
Bsherreh,  with  its  churches  and  convents,  its  water  and  trees,  and  east  of  it  the  roaring 
cataract  which  leaps  down  the  rocks  from  the  fountain  of  the  sacred  river.  Still  higher  up, 
standing  solitary  and  alone,  is  the  dark  compact  cluster  of  trees  known  as  the  Cedars  of 
Lebanon  (see  page  237,  vol.  ii.). 

We  hasten  our  pace,  if  it  be  in  April,  over  the  scattered  snow-drifts  and  muddy  fields,  or, 


ROMAN    BRIDGE    NEAR  JUNEH. 
It  spans  a  little  stream  called  Ma'amiltein,  which  in  the  winter  flows  from  the  hills  to  the  beautiful  bay  of  Juneh.    Adjoining  the  bridge  there 

is  a  Syrian  khan. 

if  in  August,  over  the  dusty,  parched,  and  cracked  earth,  to  the  sacred  grove  called  "  Arz  er 
Rub,"  that  is,  "  The  Cedars  of  the  Lord."  There  are  three  hundred  and  ninety-three  trees, 
some  ten  or  twelve  of  which  are  of  giant  girth,  though  the  loftiest  is  not  more  than  eighty  feet 
in  height.  The  twelve  largest  trees  are  called  by  the  fellahin  "  The  Twelve  Apostles,"  and 
they  have  a  curious  tradition  that  our  Lord  and  His  apostles  came  to  this  spot  and  left  their 
walking  staves  standing  in  the  soil,  which  sprouted  into  cedar-trees.  A  Maronite  chapel  stands 
in  the  grove,  and  the  patriarch  claims  the  sole  right  to  the  sacred  trees.  The  clergy  have 
cultivated  the  superstition  that  those  cutting  the  trees  for  fuel  will  be  smitten  with  disease  or 
calamity  by  the  guardian  divinity  of  the  grove.  It  is  pleasant  to  find  that  one  at  least  of  the 
thousand  superstitions  of  Syria  has  been  of  some  utility  to  the  people  in  the  conservation  of 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON.  25 

valuable  trees.*     The  range  of  Lebanon  for  a  hundred  miles  along  the  Jird  was  doubtless 


LIMESTONE   ROCKS,   AJELTOn,   LEBANON. 

In  this  district,  well  named  Kesrawan  (Broken  Region),  is  a  chaos  of  nigged  mountains,  which  in  some  places  assume  grotesque  and  in  others 
grand  architectural  forms.    The  belfry  of  the  great  Convent  of  Ajeltun  is  shown  in  the  background. 


once   covered  with  cedar  forests.       We  have  visited   eleven  distinct   groves   of  cedars  in 

*  H.E.  Rustem  Pasha,  Governor-General  of  the  Lebanon,  has  surrounded  this  grove  with  a  well-built  stone  wall  with  two  strong  gates,  and 
appointed  guardians  to  prevent  the  ravages  of  the  goats  on  the  young  trees,  and  to  compel  travellers  to  pitch  their  tents  outside  the  enclosure. 


26  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Lebanon : — i.  The  ancient "  Cedars  of  the  Lord"  above  Bsherreh,  three  hundred  and  ninety-three 
in  number  (see  page  236,  vol.  ii.).  2.  The  grove  at  the  fountain  of  Ehden,  fifty  trees.  3.  The 
great  grove  between  El  Hadeth  and  Niha,  numbering  tens  of  thousands  of  trees,  covers  an 
area  of  nearly  twelve  miles.  4.  A  smaller  grove  farther  south  on  the  summit  and  brink  of  the 
precipice.  5.  The  scattered  trees  above  Duma.  6.  The  Ain  Zehalteh  grove  of  ten  thousand 
trees,  cut  down  by  Murad  Akil,  and  now  growing- up  again.  7.  A  small  grove  on  the  cliff 
overhanging  El  Meduk.  8.  A  small  cluster  near  Kul'at  el  Bizzeh.  9.  The  fine  grove  of 
Masir  el  Fukhkhar,  about  three  hundred  trees,  some  of  great  size.  10.  The  forest  of  Jird  el 
Baruk,  thousands  of  trees.     1 1.  The  eastern  grove  of  Baruk,  about  two  hundred  trees. 

The  first  historical  notice  of  the  cedars  of  Lebanon  is  in  the  reign  of  David,  when  this 
monarch  built  himself  a  palace  of  cedar-wood  (2  Samuel  v.  11).  Solomon  caused  cedars  to  be 
brought  from  Lebanon  for  the  building  of  the  Temple,  and  they  were  floated  down  the  coast 
from  Jebeil  to  Jaffa,  after  being  cut  by  the  "  four  score  thousand  hewers  in  the  mountains." 
In  536  b.c.  Zerubbabel  hired  the  Phoenicians  of  Tyre  and  Sidon  "  to  bring  cedar- trees  from 
Lebanon  to  the  Sea  of  Joppa."  The  cedar  was  also  used  in  ship-building  and  in  idol 
manufacture.  Tiglath  Pileser,  after  his  successful  campaigns  against  the  Khatti  and  the 
Hittites  and  the  subjugation  of  Carchemish,  visited  the  Lebanon  for  the  purpose  of  obtaining 
cedar-wood  to  adorn  the  temples  and  palaces  of  Kileh  Shergat.  The  groves  of  Lebanon  have 
thus  been  despoiled  for  three  thousand  years  by  the  kings  of  the  adjacent  countries,  until  the 
upper  ranges  are  quite  denuded,  and  the  voracity  of  the  flocks  of  goats  in  nipping  the  tender 
shoots,  and  the  rapacity  of  the  fellahin,  are  preventing  the  growth  of  new  forests  from  the  seed. 
Were  it  not  for  the  energetic  action  of  the  Lebanon  Government  the  whole  mountain  would 
soon  be  stripped  of  its  forest  glory. 

The  geological  formation  of  Lebanon  is  the  lower  cretaceous  limestone  with  a  stratum  of 
ferruginous  sandstone  running  through  it  almost  from  one  end  to  the  other,  and  here  and  there 
an  outcropping  of  trap,  amygdaloid  or  partially  columnar.  In  the  sandstone  is  a  well-defined 
stratum  of  bituminous  coal  or  lignite,  which  crops  out  at  Kornail  and  elsewhere  in  the  district 
of  El  Metn,  east  of  Beirut  (see  sketch  map,  page  12).  The  Jura  limestone  has  been  found  by 
Professor  Lewis,  of  the  Beirut  College,  in  but  one  place,  at  Mejdel  Shems,  on  the  southern 
slope  of  Mount  Hermon,  where  the  Jurassic  fossils,  such  as  half-crystallized  Ammonites,  &c, 
have  been  found  in  great  profusion. 

The  strata  of  the  Lebanon  rocks,  upheaved  by  mighty  internal  convulsions  of  nature, 
stand  at  every  conceivable  angle  of  inclination.  On  the  very  top  of  Ard  Akluk  is  a  singular 
battlemented  hill  called  Jebel  Akluk,  looking  in  the  distance  like  an  artificial  fortress.  Passing 
around  it  on  the  west,  we  turn  south-east  and  begin  the  four-mile  descent  to  Akura,  which 
lies  at  the  head  of  the  great  valley  of  Mogheriye,  or  "  little  cavern."  To  the  east  of  the 
village  rises  a  rock  wall  one  thousand  feet  in  height,  through  which  a  narrow  chasm,  has  been 
rent,  opening  a  highway  to  the  east,  the  shortest  route  from  this  point,  via  'Ain  Rumeh,  to  the 
Cedars  and  to  Baalbek,  via  Yamuneh  (see  page  15).     The  village  is  small,  but  the  sides  of 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON.  27 

the  valley  below  are  everywhere  cultivated  and  verdant  in  the  summer,  with  mulberry,  walnut, 
and  other  fruit-trees,  and  with  fields  of  wheat  and  barley. 

After  a  half-hour's  ride  southward  along  the  base  of  the  giant  cliff  overhanging  the 
valley,  we  reach  the  natural  bridge  of  El  Akura,  over  the  mouth  of  a  cave  (see  page  13).  It 
is  formed  by  a  fallen  rock  which  once  evidently  constituted  the  roof  of  the  cavern's  mouth,  and 
has  now  settled  down,  covering  the  channel  of  the  Neb'a  Ruweis,  which  issues  from  the  cave. 
Leaving  our  horses  on  the  bridge,  under  the  overhanging  cliff,  we  took  our  staves  to  steady 
our  steps  over  the  mud-slimed  stones  in  the  bottom  of  the  cave,  and,  lighting  our  wax  candles, 
slid  down  the  declivity  into  the  mouth  of  the  cavern.  The  roof  is  from  ten  to  twenty  feet  in 
height,  and  we  walked  or  groped  along  for  four  hundred  feet,  when  the  cavern  suddenly  divided 
into  two  branches,  the  one  on  the  right  muddy  and  rough,  and  that  on  the  left  clean,  overarched 
with  wax-like  stalactites,  and  floored  with  stalagmitic  mounds,  between  which,  on  a  pebbly  bed, 
runs  a  stream  of  water  so  crystal  clear,  that  I  stepped  into  a  pool  a  foot  deep,  supposing  it  to  be 
dry.  We  traced  this  bright  gallery  for  about  four  hundred  feet,  when  it  terminated  suddenly 
in  a  lofty  arched  room,  whose  perpendicular  wall  stopped  our  progress.  But  some  twenty 
feet  up  the  side  of  this  wall  is  the  mouth  of  another  vast  cavern,  which  could  not  be  reached 
without  ladders,  and  we  were  obliged  to  retreat. 

From  El  Akura  (see  page   15)  to  the  fountain  of  Afka  (see  page  16)  is  a  ride  of  an  hour 
and  a  half  along  a  tableland  overhanging  a  valley  covered  with  wheat-fields  and  scattered  trees, 
until,  turning  to  the  south-east,  we  come  to  the  Maronite  village  of  El  Mnetira,  which  faces 
southwards  towards  the  fountain,  to  which  we  descend  over  a  steep  rocky  road.     This  historic 
fountain  of  Afka  (Apheca)  issues  from  the  cave,  and  from  the  limestone  strata  below  it,  which 
descend  in  stair-like  gradations  to  the  road,  and  below  it  to  the  deep  gorge  of.the  river  Adonis 
(Nahr  Ibrahim)  (see  page  17).     The  great  cliff  wall  rises  abruptly  above  the  fountain  from 
one  thousand  to  fifteen  hundred  feet,  and  the  water  bursts  forth  from  the  recess  formed  by  the 
sudden  turning  of  the  cliffs  from  a  north  and  south  to  a  westerly  direction,  and  dashes  down 
into  a  rock  basin  fifty  feet  below.     We  cross  this  basin  on  a  bridge,  which  leads  us  to  a  ruined 
temple  one  hundred  feet  in  length  by  fifty  in  width  ;  this  is  without  doubt  the  ancient  temple  of 
Venus,  which  was  destroyed  by  the  Emperor  Constantine  in  the  fourth  century.     A  fountain 
still  issues  through  the  vaulted  passage  under  the  ruins,  and  there  were  probably  artificial  outlets 
for  the  water  at  various  points  under  the  temple.     This  is  the  principal  source  of  the  river 
Adonis  of  the  ancients,  and  latterly  known  as  the  Nahr  Ibrahim.     Here  was  the  scene  of  the 
ancient  mythological  fable  of  Venus  and  Adonis,  and  of  the  weeping  for  Adonis  annually 
by   the  maidens  of  Phoenicia.     The  Lebanon  maidens  chanted,  "  I  mourn  Adonis ;    the  fair 
Adonis  is  dead  :  dead  is  the  fair  Adonis,  whom  the  gods  lament."     Adonis  was  Adon,  the 
Baal  god,  the   sun — the   same   in  meaning   with  Tammuz,  the  present  Arabic  name  of  the 
month  July,  which  was  the  month  of  the  feast  of  Adonis.     The  scarlet  anemone  of  Lebanon 
was  thought  to  be  stained  with  his  blood. 

Leaving  the  Temple  and  Fountain  of  Afka  (see  page   16),  we  ascend  gradually  towards 


28 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


the  south-west  and  ride  on  by  Neb'a  el  Hadid  (Iron  Fountain)  and  around  the 

ridge,  returning  eastward  through  the  wheat-fields  above 

Fareiya  to  the  Neb'a  el  'Asal  (Fountain  of  Honey),  the 

northern   source  of  the  Nahr  el  Kelb.     It  rises  amidst  a 

mass  of  boulders,  angular  masses  of  rock,  and  loose  stones, 

in  a  recess  of  the  north-west  slope  of  the  Sunnin  range, 

and  the  crystal  water  runs  westward  amid  its 

stony  banks  with  not  a  tree  or  shrub  to  shade 

it     In  winter  it  is  buried  under  snowdrifts  and 

is  inaccessible.     The  Arabs  say,  "  the  fountains 


edge  of  the 


of  milk  and  honey  run  into  the 
Dog's  mouth."  We  now  pass  on 
from  the  honey  fountain  to  the  fountain  of  milk.  A 
half-hour's  ride  to  the  west  brings  us  to  the  Jisr  el 
Hajr,  the  largest  natural  bridge  in  Syria,  under  which 
flow  the  waters  of  the  Neb'a  el  Lebban  (Fountain  of 
Milk)  (see  pages  20  and  23).  One  might  cross  it  with- 
out being  aware  of  its  existence,  its  surface  being  on  a 

BEIRUT,   FROM  JAITA,  ° 

A  beautifully  situated  village  north  of  the  Dog  River  (Nahr  level    witn    the    fields    On     both   sides.        But    a   glance 
el  Kelb),  on  the  heights  above  the  gorge.    In  the  distance,  „  -  , 

beyond   St.   George's   Bay,    the   sandy   promontory  of  Suffices   to  reveal    the  great  chasm  of  the  SOUtll  branch 
Beirut  appears.  ° 

of  the   Dog  River,  flowing  from   Neb'a  el    Lebban, 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


29 


fifteen  minutes  farther  up,  under  the  base  of  the  mountain.     Climbing  down  into  the  chasm 


from  the  south-west  side,  we  look  up  to  the 
bridge  from  the  south.  It  appears  as  a 
lofty  circular  arch  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-five  feet  span,  and  about  eighty  feet 
high  (see  page  21).  The  thickness  of  the 
rock  above  the  arch  is  thirty  feet.  The 
breadth  of  the  roadway  on  the  top  is  about 
one  hundred  feet.  The  arch  on  the  north 
side  is  angular  and  broken,  and  the  chasm 
which  descends  to  the  north  towards  Wady 
Fareiya  is  filled  with  the  singular  forms  of 
rock  wrought  out  by  the  detrition  of  ages. 
We  follow  the  irrisratins:  canal  which 
carries  the  water  of  Neb'a  el  Lebban  down 
through  Upper  Kesrawan,  and  hasten  onwards  to  the  great  Convent  of  Ajeltun,  which  stands 
in  the  midst  of  a  singular  region  of  projecting  limestone  rocks  (see  page  25).     The  strata  stand 

VOL.  III.  f 


A  LEBANON   CAFE, 
Pleasantly  situated  by  a  mountain  stream  and  sheltered  by  the  dense  foliage 
of  carouba  trees  (Ceratonia  siliqua).    The  presence  of  one  of  these  way- 
side resting-places  always  indicates  a  good  site  for  an  encampment,  for  it 
is  sure  to  be  near  a  supply  of  good  water. 


3o  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

in  a  vertical  position,  and  the  rains  and  storms  of  centuries  have  worn  away  the  softer  parts, 
leaving  the  harder  veins  standing  upright,  often  to  a  height  of  forty  or  fifty  feet.  They  assume 
the  most  grotesque  shapes,  resembling  "columns,  blocks,  houses,  round  and  square  towers, 
castles,  fortresses,"  spires  and  shafts ;  and  the  road  passes  through  the  midst  of  them,  sometimes 
by  very  narrow  clefts.  In  the  western  part  of  the  village  is  a  good  camping  ground,  but 
every  available  rod  of  soil  is  occupied  by  the  mulberry,  the  staple  product  of  this  part  of 
Lebanon.  This  district  is  the  Kesrawan,  or  broken  region,  a  chaos  of  rugged  mountains,  and 
the  stronghold  and  holy  mountain  of  the  Maronites.  Monasteries,  nunneries,  and  churches  are 
seen  in  every  direction  ;  the  monks  own  the  best  part  of  the  land,  and  the  people  are  largely 
their  tenants.  The  industry  of  the  people  is  remarkable.  They  have  quarried  the  rocks  and 
built  terrace  walls  like  steps  up  the  sides  of  these  steep  mountains,  and  wrest  a  livelihood  from 
the  soil.  The  insecurity  of  the  great  plains  east  and  north-east  of  Lebanon  has  driven  the 
people  into  these  mountain  fastnesses ;  and  in  the  civil  wars  of  Lebanon,  when  the  Druses 
south  of  the  Damascus  road  have  everywhere  defeated  the  Maronites,  this  region  has  been 
regarded  as  impregnable.  The  Maronites  are  a  fine  race,  and  if  once  freed  from  the  ecclesiastical 
tyranny  of  the  bishops  and  monks  and  given  possession  of  the  immense  monastic  estates  for 
the  purposes  of  education,  they  would  become  a  power  in  the  East.  As  it  is,  they  are  forcing 
their  way  upward  and  reaching  positions  of  influence  throughout  Syria  and  Egypt. 

From  Ajeltun  (see  page  25)  we  descend  gradually  over  a  rocky  road  towards  the  sea, 
having  on  our  left  the  deep  chasm  of  the  Nahr  el  Kelb  (see  page  21),  and  in  front  to  the 
west  a  fine  view  of  the  promontory  of  Beirut  (see  page  28),  some  twenty  miles  distant. 
About  three  miles  and  a  half  from  the  mouth  of  the  Dog  River,  on  the  north  side  of  the  gorge 
there  are  three  grottoes,  from  two  of  which  water  issues,  and  from  these  comes  the  chief 
supply  of  water  in  the  summer,  when  the  fountains  of  'Asal  and  Lebban  are  diverted  for 
irrigating  purposes.  The  late  Dr.  Thomson,  the  author  of  "  The  Land  and  the  Book,"  first 
noticed  these  caves,  but  the  first  full  exploration  of  them  was  made  in  September,  1873,  by 
W.  T.  Maxwell,  C.E.,  aided  by  H.  G.  Huxley,  C.E.,  Dr.  Bliss,  President  of  the  S.  P.  College 
in  Beirut,  and  Dr.  Brigstocke,  M.R.C.S.,  of  Beirut.  Provided  with  a  raft  of  inflated  goat-skins 
and  a  small  boat,  with  a  good  supply  of  lights  and  magnesium  wire,  they  brought  their  boat 
and  raft  into  the  entrance,  down  the  rugged  descent  to  the  main  grotto,  and  launched  forth  on 
the  still,  clear  waters  of  the  subterranean  lake.  After  sailing  six  hundred  feet,  they  reached 
a  rock  barrier  fifteen  feet  in  height,  which  compelled  them  to  leave  the  raft.  They  then 
climbed  over  the  rock  screen  and  along  a  lofty  ledge  for  seven  hundred  feet,  when,  lighting  a 
magnesium  wire,  a  scene  of  great  magnificence  burst  upon  their  vision.  As  one  of  the  party 
says,  "  From  the  lofty  vaulted  roof  and  precipitous  sides  hung  massive  stalactites,  between  which 
the  rocks  were  studded  with  others  of  a  more  slender  and  graceful  make,  while  from  below 
shot  up  in  wild  profusion  stalagmites  which  towered  aloft,  in  some  cases  almost  reaching  their 
pendant  companions." 

From  these  caves  we  pass  down  the  river  gorge  by  the  stone  aqueduct  and  the  weir  of 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


3* 


the  London  Waterworks  Company,  then  by  the  ancient  Roman  aqueduct  on  the  north  bank, 
where  a  wonderful  discovery  has  just  been  made  by  Mr.  J.  Loyted,  a  Danish  architect  in  Beirut, 
in  company  with  Dr.  Hartmann,  Chancellor  of  the  German  Consulate.  On  a  line  with  the 
ruined  abutment  of  the  old  Roman  bridge  they  found  a  series  of  Babylonian  cuneiform 
inscriptions,  engraved  on  a  rock  eight  metres  and  forty  centimetres  long  and  twelve  metres  in 
height.  The  modern  aqueduct  (see  page  37)  passes  above  it.  These  inscriptions  have  not  yet 
been  fully  translated,  but  it  has  already  been  ascertained  that  one  of  them  relates  to  the  time 
of  Nebuchadnezzar,  and  his  name  occurs  more  than  once  upon  the  tablet.  From  this  point  we 
cross  the  ancient  bridge  (see  page  36)  and  observe  an  almost  obliterated  Arabic  inscription  at 
the  base  of  a  rock  on  the  south  bank,  supposed  to  have  been  the  work  of  Sultan  Selim  in  15 17. 
Farther  on  towards  the  sea,  on  the  left  of  the  paved  road,  is  a  Latin  inscription  (of  173  a.d.) 
which  settles  the  identity  of  the  Lycus  flumen  of  the  ancients  with  the  Dog  River,  the  wolf 
having  given  place  to  the  dog.  There  is  another  short  Latin  inscription  of  Antoninus  farther 
west  towards  the  sea.  On  the  rock-cut  road  round  the  promontory  south  of  the  Dog  River 
(see  page  33)  are  to  be  seen  the  collection  of  Assyrian  and  Egyptian  tablets  for  which,  this 
pass  has  long  been  celebrated.  There  are  nine  tablets  in  all,  three  Egyptian  and  six  Assyrian. 
Mr.  W.  St.  Chad  Boscawen  has  arranged  them  as  follows  :  — 


1.  Egyptian, 

2.  Assyrian, 

3.  Assyrian, 

4.  Assyrian, 

5.  Assyrian, 

6.  Egyptian, 

7.  Assyrian, 

8.  Egyptian, 

9.  Assyrian, 


square-headed 

square-headed 

square-headed 

round-headed 

round-headed 

square-headed 

round-headed 

square-headed 

round-headed 


Height, 
ft.  in. 

Breadth, 
ft.  in. 

Depth, 
in. 

Date,  &c. 

7    6 

3 

8 

6 

By  Rameses  II.,  dedicated  to  Phtha. 

6    7 

4 

5 

4i 

By  Assur-ris-ilim  (?),  B.C.  1140. 

5     1 

2 

4 

5 

By  Tiglath-pil-esir,  B.C.  1140. 

6    1 

2 

6i 

4l 

By  Assur-Nazir-pal,  B.C.  885. 

6    4 

2 

9i 

5 

By  Shal-men-esar,  B.C.  860. 

7    6 

3 

8 

54 

By  Rameses  II.,  dedicated  to  Ra. 

7    3 

3 

8* 

5* 

By  Sennacherib,  B.C.  702. 

7    4 

3 

8 

5i 

By  Rameses  II.,  dedicated  to  the  Theban  Ammon 

6 

3 

1 

6 

By  Esar-haddon,  B.C.  681 — 571. 

At  the  top  of  the  pass  on  the  modern  road  is  a  pedestal,  and  near  by  it  a  fragment  of  a 
Roman  milestone.  Here,  according  to  tradition,  once  stood  the  statue  of  a  dog,  which  gave  its 
name,  Nahr  el  Kelb,  to  the  river.  Among  the  striking  features  of  the  pass  are  the  old  road 
beds  cut  in  the  solid  limestone  rock  by  successive  monarchs  of  antiquity.  The  foot-holes  of 
the  horses  and  the  grooves  worn  by  the  chariot  wheels  of  armies  are  still  distinctly  traceable  in 
the  rock.  Here  passed  Pul,  Tiglath  Pileser,  Sesostris,  Shalmaneser,  Sargon,  and  Sennacherib; 
here  swarmed  the  hosts  of  Alexander  the  Great  en  route  for  Egypt ;  here  passed  the  Romans, 
the  later  Greeks,  the  Arabs,  the  Turks,  and  the  Crusaders  ;  and  here  pass  constantly  the  traders 
and  travellers  of  the  East. 

South  of  the  Adonis  river,  riding  down  the  coast,  we  cross  a  lofty  paved  bridge,  pass 
numerous  khans  and  rock  tombs  on  the  right  of  the  road,  and  then  come  down  to  the  low  cliffs 
which  skirt  the  northern  shore  of  the  Bay  of  Juneh.  Following  an  old  Roman  road  hewn  in 
the  face  of  the  precipice  above  the  water,  we  come  down  on  the  sandy  beach  to  the  river 
Ma'amiltein.  This  little  torrent  is  spanned  by  a  round-arched  Roman  bridge  in  fair  state  of 
preservation   (see   page   24).      It   is  called  Ma'amiltein,    or  "  Two  Districts,"   as   it  divided 

f  2 


32 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


THE   SLOPES  OF   LEBANON. 
With  a  characteristic  Maronite  village  in  the  foreground,  the  principal  feature  of  which  is  its  strongly  fortified  monastery. 


PHOENICIA  AND  LEBANON 


33 


the  pashaliks  of  Tripoli  and  Sidon  (see  pages  9  and  45)  in  ancient  times. 
A  Syrian  khan  stands  near  it,  offering  kindly  shelter  to  man  and  beast. 
We  gallop  over  the  sandy  beach  to  the  Nahr  Beirut,  entranced 
by  the  landscape.     The  promontory  of  Beirut,  crowned  with 
its  cream-coloured  sandstone  houses,  palaces,  churches,  and 
mosques,  its  colleges   and  schools  rising  from  the  water's 
edge  to  the  ridge  of  the  cape,  the  pine-crowned  ridges  of 
Lower  Lebanon  to  the  east,  form  a  picture  only 
equalled  by  the  Bay  of  Naples  (see  page  28).    St. 
George,  or  Mar  Girgius,  as  he  is  called  by  Oriental 
Christians,  is  the  favourite  saint  in  the  Syrian 


CLIFFS   AND   SCULPTURED  TABLETS. 
On  the  rocky  promontory  which  projects  far  into  the  sea,  south  of  the  Nahr  el  Kelb  (the  Dog  River),  rising  to  the  height  of  about  one  hundred  feet. 


34  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

calendar.  The  Moslems  call  him  El  Khidr.  Near  the  bridge  of  seven  arches  over  the  Nahr 
Beirut  is  a  Muslim  mosque  or  mazar,  said  to  be  his  place  of  burial,  and  farther  on  towards 
the  city  is  a  ruined  tower  on  the  north  side  of  the  road,  claimed  to  be  the  place  where  St. 
Georo-e  killed  the  Drasron  and  washed  his  hands  of  the  bloody  stains. 

We  now  enter  Beirut,  the  metropolis  of  modern  Phoenicia,  and  its  most  beautiful  and  most 
enlightened  city.  Its  situation  is  all  that  could  be  desired,  on  the  northern  slope  of  a  promontory 
which  runs  west  for  three  miles  from  the  Nahr  Beirut  to  Ras  Beirut  (see  page  28).  Here 
where  the  changes  of  temperature  through  the  successive  months  of  the  year  are  so  gradual 
that  autumn  fades  imperceptibly  into  winter,  and  winter  itself  is  a  genial  spring,  and  spring 
warms  into  summer  with  hardly  a  change  of  half  a  degree  a  day,  you  have  the  perfection  of 
climate,  and  do  not  wonder  that  the  Greek  poet  should  call  it  "the  nurse  of  tranquil  life." 

Beirut  is  the  Berytus  of  the  ancients,  and  was  probably  founded  by  the  Phoenicians.  It  is 
the  common  opinion  that  its  name  is  derived  from  its  wells,  Beer-oth,  but  M.  Renan  labours,  in 
his  "  Mission  de  Phenicie,"  to  prove  that  the  name  was  taken  from  its  Pineto  or  Pine  Groves, 
"called  in  the  Chaldee  nh3,  Beeroth,  and  rendered  in  the  Arabic  Bible  snobar,  or  pine- 
trees."  But  in  this  view  M.  Renan  stands  alone.  In  the  verse  Cant.  i.  17,  to  which  he  refers, 
the  Chaldee  word  is  rendered,  in  Dr.  V.  Dyck's  Arabic  translation  of  the  Bible,  sent,  or 
cypress.  Robinson  gives  both  cypress  and  pine  as  the  meaning  of  "  Beroth."  Beirut  has  been 
celebrated  both  for  its  wells  and  its  pines,  and  the  pine  grove  of  Beirut  is  certainly  a  more 
striking  feature  than  its  brackish  wells  could  have  been  in  former  times,  but  the  weight  of 
traditional  authority  is  in  favour  of  the  wells.  Strabo  first  mentions  the  city  in  140  b.c,  when 
it  was  destroyed  by  Tryphon  during  the  reign  of  Demetrius  Nicator.  The  Romans  rebuilt 
it  and  colonised  it  with  veterans  of  the  fifth  Macedonian  and  eighth  Augustan  legions.  It 
was  here  that  the  two  sons  of  Herod  the  Great  were  tried  unheard  and  in  their  absence, 
and  condemned  to  death  by  their  cruel  and  unnatural  father.  The  Elder  Agrippa  greatly 
favoured  the  city,  and  adorned  it  with  a  splendid  theatre  and  amphitheatre,  besides  baths  and 
porticoes,  inaugurating  them  with  games  and  spectacles  of  every  kind,  including  shows  of 
gladiators.  Here,  too,  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem,  Titus  celebrated  the  birthday  of 
his  father,  Vespasian,  by  similar  exhibitions  in  which  many  of  the  captive  Jews  perished. 

In  the  middle  of  the  third  century  a  celebrated  Roman  law  school  was  founded  here. 
Students  flocked  to  it  from  all  countries,  including  Gregory  Thaumaturgus  and  Apion,  the 
martyr.  Apollinaris  taught  grammar  here  in  the  fourth  century.  After  the  death  of 
Julian  the  Apostate  the  Emperor  Jovian  compelled  one  Magnus,  who  had  demolished  the 
Church  of  Berytus,  to  rebuild  it  at  his  own  cost.  From  250  a.d.  to  550  was  the  golden  age 
of  literature  in  Beirut,  which  reached  its  zenith  in  the  reign  of  Justinian,  who  regarded  the 
Beirut  school  with  special  favour.  On  the  9th  of  July,  551,  this  city  was  destroyed  by  an 
earthquake,  and  its  learned  men  went  for  a  season  to  Sidon.  In  the  seventh  century 
Khaled,  "  the  Sword  of  Mohammed,"  swept  over  the  land.  Beirut  fell  into  Muslim  hands, 
and  its  decline  was  rapid  and  complete. 


< 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON.  35 

In  1 1 10  Baldwin  I.,  with  the  Crusading  army,  captured  Beirut,  and  they  long  held 
it  as  a  religious  and  military  centre,  the  Maronites  of  Lebanon  acting  as  a  friendly  barrier  to 
the  Muslim  hordes  of  the  east.  Saladin  occupied  it  for  a  short  period,  but  the  Christians 
were  not  permanently  displaced  until  after  the  battle  of  Hattin,  in  1187.  From  that  time 
until  the  days  of  the  famous  Druse  prince,  Fakhr  ed  Din,  it  continued  in  obscurity.  This 
energetic  man  rebuilt  the  city  and  planted  new  pine  groves.  In  1840  the  English  fleet 
bombarded  the  city  to  expel  the  Egyptian  army  of  Ibrahim  Pasha.  In  August,  i860,  it  was 
occupied  by  six  thousand  French  troops,  sent  by  Napoleon  III.,  with  the  consent  of  the 
European  powers,  to  check  the  tide  of  massacre  and  civil  war  which  had  overwhelmed  the  land. 

The  antiquities  of  Beirut  are  few.  Columns  of  granite  and  porphyry  are  scattered 
everywhere,  and  built  into  the  old  castles  at  the  entrance  of  the  harbour  (see  page  41).  Stone, 
earthen,  and  leaden  sarcophagi  are  constantly  dug  up  in  excavating  for  the  foundation  of  houses  : 
three  massive  granite  columns  are  still  standing  near  the  Russian  church ;  old  Roman  mosaic 
floors  are  often  uncovered ;  a  Greek  inscription  is  still  legible  over  the  Bab  ed  Dirkeh ;  and 
a  picturesque  Roman  aqueduct  crosses  the  Nahr  Beirut  a  few  minutes'  ride  above  the  stately 
bridge  just  built  by  H.E.  Rustem  Pasha.  Smaller  relics,  such  as  lachrymatories,  jewellery, 
and  various  articles  of  bronze  and  glass,  are  often  discovered. 

The  ancient  coins  of  Beirut  are  adorned  with  various  temples  and  porticoes,  and  it  was 
once  noted  for  its  castles,  of  which  four  were  standing  a  few  years  since.  The  most  lofty  and 
imposing,  Burj  el  Kesshaf,  stood  outside  the  south-east  corner  of  the  old  city,  but  was  recently 
sold  to  a  native  merchant,  who  razed  it  to  the  ground  for  the  stone.  The  military  hospital 
covers  the  site  of  the  old  round  tower,  and  the  two  remaining  ones  guard  the  entrance  to  the 
harbour.  These  castles  were  evidently  built  by  the  Crusaders  from  the  ruins  of  ancient  Beirut, 
as  the  foundations  are  laid  up  with  granite  columns  from  the  old  Roman  porticoes  and  temples. 
But  it  is  modern  Beirut  which  is  chiefly  interesting  to  the  traveller  in  our  day.  This  favourite 
city  of  Justinian  has  become  again  the  literary  centre  and  pride  of  Syria.  Here  are  gathered 
its  colleges  and  seminaries,  and  its  chief  hospitals  and  churches,  journals  and  printing  presses. 

The  American  Mission,  founded  in  1820,  preceded  all  other  agencies  in  the  work  of 
education.  Thousands  of  youths  have  been  taught,  and  there  are  now  under  its  care  one 
hundred  and  four  schools,  with  more  than  four  thousand  pupils,  a  college  and  medical  institution, 
three  female  seminaries,  and  eight  high  schools.  It  has  seen  Beirut  rise  from  a  town  of  eight 
thousand  to  a  city  of  eighty  thousand.  The  cactus-bordered  lanes  have  become  macadamised 
streets  of  well-built  houses,  furnished  with  native-made  furniture  vieing  with  that  of  Europe.  The 
native  sects  most  hostile  to  education  are  falling  under  the  influence  of  educated  young  men 
and  women,  and  Mohammedans,  Greeks,  Maronites,  Papal  Greeks,  and  Jews  have  established 
schools  of  their  own.  Other  foreign  societies,  as  the  British  Syrian  Schools,  the  Prussian 
Deaconesses  of  Kaiserswerth,  and  the  Established  Church  of  Scotland,  have  opened  schools 
for  girls  and  boys,  until  there  are  to-day  in  Beirut  three  thousand  five  hundred  children  in 
Protestant  schools,  and  seven  thousand  in  the  schools  of  the  native  societies.     Of  the  twelve 


36 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


■  ■3sm# 


THE  NAHR   EL   KELB   (DOG   RIVER), 

And  ancient  bridge  connected  with  the  rock-cut  coast  road.    In 

summer  the  river  is  fordable  here. 


journals  now  published  in  Beirut, 
seven  are  in  the  hands  of  Pro- 
testants, four  belonging  to  native 
Syrians.  All  the  sects  and  com- 
munities have  literary,  benevo- 
lent, or  educational  societies,  and 
the  old  spirit  of  religious  fanaticism  is  gradually 
disappearing.  Mohammedans  glory  in  the  edu- 
cation of  their  girls,  and  Greek  young  women 
form  "  women's  societies "  for  the  promotion  of 
education.  In  Syria  and  Palestine  are  two 
hundred  and  forty-four  Protestant  schools,  with 
thirteen  thousand  children.  The  number  of 
American  and  European  labourers  is  one  hundred 
and  twenty,  with  four  hundred  and  thirty-two 
native  teachers  and  preachers.  The  radiating 
centre  of  influence  for  all  these  movements  is  in 
Beirut.     The  finest  edifices  in  the  city  are  the 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


37 


.1  }    \  '"t    .' 

«*■■■.'• 


Syrian  Protestant  College,  the 
Hospital  of  St.  John,  and  the 
collegesoftheJesuits,Maronites, 
and  Papal  Greeks,  the  various 
female    seminaries,   American, 
British,  and  German  Protestant, 
and  of  the  Roman  Catholic  sisters  of  charity  and 
sisters  of  Nazareth.     Not  a  few  of  the  natives 
are  attaining  some  eminence  for  their  contribu- 
tions to  literature,  and  the  various  presses  are 
filling  the  land  with  reading  matter,  translated 
and  original.     As  in  the  days  of  the  khalifs  of 
Baghdad,  the  Arab  race  must  draw  their  literary 
and  scientific   treasures   from   the   languages  of 
Europe.     The  Syrian  Protestant  College  stands 
at  the  head  of  the  literary  institutions  of  Syria. 
The  language  of  instruction  is  English,  and  in 
its   various   departments,   medical,   literary,  and 

VOL.  III.  G 


MODERN  AQUEDUCT  ON  THE  NAHR  EL  KELB, 

Near  to  which  are  the  newly  discovered  Assyrian  tablets  relating 
to  Nebuchadnezzar. 


38  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

scientific,  it  is  fitting  young  men  for  the  highest  spheres  of  usefulness  in  the  future.  The 
vernacular  Arabic,  together  with  the  French,  Turkish,  and  Latin  languages,  are  also  taught. 
The  astronomical  and  meteorological  observatory  is  in  daily  telegraphic  communication  with 
Constantinople,  London,  and  Washington.  The  American,  British,  and  German  Protestant 
seminaries  for  girls  are  training  hundreds  of  the  choicest  daughters  of  Syria.  The  Jesuits  have 
established  a  college  and  printing  house  on  a  scale  of  great  magnificence,  and  the  Maronite, 
Papal  Greek,  Orthodox  Greek,  Mohammedan,  and  Jewish  academies  are  educating  a  vast  body 
of  youth,  while  the  Sceurs  de  Charite  and  the  Dames  de  Nazareth  have  under  training  about 
seven  hundred  and  thirty  Arab  girls.  The  massacres  of  i860  drove  thousands  of  Christians 
from  the  interior  into  Beirut,  many  of  whom  have  made  this  city  their  permanent  home.  Its 
fine  climate,  pure  water,  educational  advantages,  commercial  importance,  and  security  from  the 
perils  of  civil  war  and  massacre  have  made  it  the  favourite  refuge  for  all  sects  and  classes. 
Beirut  is  connected  with  Damascus  by  a  fine  French  macadamised  road,  with  diligences 
running  through  twice  a  day  (see  pages  142  and  143,  vol.  ii.). 

The  Mutserrif  and  all  executive  and  judicial  officers  are  appointed  by  the  Sultan,  but 
the  municipality  are  elected  by  the  people.  The  Christians  of  all  sects  outnumber  the 
Mohammedans  two  to  one.  There  is  an  increasing  Jewish  population  and  a  small  European 
element.  '  Beirut  has  been  noted  for  its  silk  culture  and  manufacture  for  many  centuries,  and 
its  modern  jewellers  and  weavers  excel  in  silver  and  gold  filigree  work  and  in  the  exquisite 
fabrics  of  silk,  woollen,  and  cotton,  now  so  greatly  in  vogue  in  civilised  countries  for  curtains, 
cushions,  and  divans.  The  silk  and  gold  cloth  curtains  woven  at  Zuk,  near  the  Dog  River, 
are  sought  for  to  adorn  the  palaces  of  Europe.  The  future  commercial  importance  of 
Beirut  will  depend  on  the  terminus  of  the  great  trunk  railway  from  the  Mediterranean  to 
India.  But  its  literary  importance  and  its  eligibility  as  a  home  for  the  most  enlightened 
of  Syria's  sons  in  the  future  can  never  be  materially  changed.  Its  people,  largely  descended 
from  the  vigorous  races  of  Lebanon,  are  enterprising  and  capable  of  high  cultivation.  The 
city  is  growing  year  by  year  in  beauty  and  in  influence  in  the  East,  and  its  institutions 
bid  fair  to  be  far  more  potent  for  good  than  its  famous  university  in  the  golden  age  of 
Justinian. 

,  About  one  mile  south-west  of  the  College,  the  cape  of  Ras  Beirut  terminates  in  an  abrupt 
cliff  at  the  Rausheh,  the  old  Syriac  name  for  ras,  or  headland.  The  cliff  is  worn  away  in  a 
curve,  at  the  base  of  which  is  a  deep  grotto  or  cavern  only  to  be  approached  by  rowing  boats. 
Opposite  the  mouth  of  the  cavern,  and  in  the  focus  of  the  semicircle  formed  by  the  cliff,  rise 
the  two  picturesque  Pigeon  Islands,  under  one  of  which  is  a  natural  tunnel.  Not  only  pigeons, 
but  vast  shoals  of  seals  formerly  added  interest  to  the  spot.  The  cretaceous  rock  presents 
a  curious  appearance  with  its  alternate  strata  of  white  chalk  and  black  flint,  and  the  distortions 
and  curvatures  of  the  strata  are  beautifully  marked  in  the  islands.  On  a  recent  visit  during  a 
westerly  gale  the  scene  was  one  of  indescribable  grandeur.  The  mighty  waves  came  rolling 
in  from  the  ddep  sea,  and,  striking  upon  the  ledges  outside  the  islands,  burst  into  milky  foam 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


39 


and  swept  around  and  behind  the  islands  with  deafening  roar,  dashing  far  up  the  cliffs  and 
falling  back  into  the  boiling  abyss  of  waters  (see  page  40). 

South  of  the  city,  and  for  four  miles  along   the  beach,  is  the  drifting  sandbank  called 
"  Ramel  Beirut,"  which  for  ages  has  been  creeping  slowly  northward  and  eastward,  threatening 


BATH  AND  CAFE,   BEIRUT. 

Of  late  years  a  great  impetus  has  been  given  to  fishing  on  this  coast.     During  the  summer  nights  fishermen  may  often  be  seen  out  on  the  rocks 

and  reefs  with  torches  and  cressets,  by  which  certain  kinds  of  fish  are  attracted. 


the  destruction  of  the  city.  Within  twenty-five  years,  to  my  own  knowledge,  it  has  advanced 
in  some  places  not  less  than  one  hundred  feet.  The  prevailing  west  winds  drive  it  up  from 
the  seashore  on  the  south-west,  and  during  the  rainless  summer  months  it  drifts  like  new-fallen 
snow  towards  the  city.     Numerous  houses  have  been  removed  to  make  way  for  it,  and  orchards 

c  2 


40 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


and    gardens   are    being 

engulfed    (see  page    28). 

The      present      elective 

municipality  have  obtained  permission  from  the 

Porte  to  remove  the  sand  or  check  its  farther 

progress. 

Leaving  Beirut  for  Sidon,  we  pass  the  great 
pine  grove  of  Fakhr  ed  Din  and  the  rich  gardens 
and  olive  orchards  of  the  plain,  emerge  upon  the 
beach  at  Kossis,  pass  the  ruins  of  Kuldeh,  and 
lunch  at  the  iron  bridge  over  the  deceitful  Damur. 
From  thence  we  reach  the  Khan  Neby  Yunas, 
near  which  is  the  Wely  Neby  Yunas,  with  a 
white  dome,  marking  the  place  where,  according 
to  Muslim  tradition,  the  prophet  Jonah  was 
thrown  up  by  the  fish  (see  page  44).     The  part  of  Lebanon  between  Beirut  and  Sidon  is 


PIGEON   ROCKS,   BEIRUT. 

In  the  cliff,  from  which  these  island  rocks  have  broken  away,  there 

is  an  enormous  cavern  which  can  be  entered  by  small  boats. 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


4i 


known  as  Druse  Lebanon,  from  the  Druses,  that  extraordinary  people  who  inhabit  it.  Their 
religion  is  a  secret  politico-religious  code,  El  Hakim  is  their  incarnate  god,  and  while  they 
may,  when  convenient,  profess  any  or  all  other  religions,  they  still  continue  Druses  at  heart. 
Courteous,    brave,   united,   and    industrious,    they   are    the   puzzle,   the   unsolved  problem  of 


BEIRUT   CASTLE. 

Built  by  the  Crusaders,  but  partly  with  materials  which  had  been  used  in  earlier  structures,  for  there  are  many  granite  columns  introduced 

transversely  into  the  lower  part  of  the  walls. 


Syrian  society.  They  speak  pure  Arabic,  and  are  English  in  their  political  bias.  Leaving 
Neby  Yunas,  we  ride  over  the  successive  sand  beaches  and  rocky  nukkars  for  three  hours, 
until  we  reach  the  river  Auwaly,  where  we  have  the  ancient  city  of  Sidon  in  full  view  (see 
pages  45  and  47). 


42  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


SAIDA,  or  SIDON. 

"  Sidonii  que  lares    ....     Sidonaque  pulchram." 
"  The  gods  of  Sidon    ....     Sidon  the  beautiful." 

These  two  lines  from  two  of  the  later  Latin  poets  sum  up  the  two  striking  features  in 
the  history  of  Sidon,  the  antiquity  of  its  religious  cult,  and  the  beauty  of  its  scenery.  Sidon 
was  the  Divine  City,  which  gave  gods  to  the  Phoenicians,  and  through  them  to  Greece,  Italy, 
and  Carthage.  It  was  the  Jerusalem  of  Baal  worship.  Here  was  worshipped  that  divine 
couple  of  the  Phoenician  religion,  Baal  Sidon  and  Ashtaroth,  the  same  which  at  Gebal  (Jebeil) 
was  called  Thammuz  and  Baalath,  at  Carthage  Baal  Hamon  and  Tanith,  among  the  Hittites 
Shed  and  Shedath,  and  in  Damascus  Hadad  and  Atargath.     Here  was  the  home  of — 

"  Astoreth,  whom  the  Phoenicians  called 
Astarte,  queen  of  Heaven  with  crescent  horns  : 
To  whose  bright  image  nightly  by  the  moon, 
Sidonian  virgins  paid  their  vows  and  songs." 

The  hardy  navigators  of  Sidon  and  Tyre,  in  pushing  their  adventurous  prows  into  the 
Euxine,  the  yEgean,  and  beyond  the  Pillars  of  Hercules,  carried  with  them  their  religion  and 
their  peculiar  divinities.  Their  Ashtaroth  became  Aphrodite  in  Greece,  and  the  temple  of 
Thasos  in  the  JEgean  was  dedicated  to  Melkarth,  the  Tyrian  Hercules.  In  the  island  of  Malta 
a  dedicatory  inscription  speaks  of  "  the  lord  Melkarth,  Baal  of  Tyre." 

Old  Sidon,  named  by  the  grandson  of  Noah,  and  styled  Great  Zidon  by  Joshua,  is,  perhaps, 
the  oldest  living  city  in  the  world,  and  claims  the  honour  of  being  mentioned  both  in  the 
book  of  Genesis  and  in  the  Homeric  poems.  Homer  speaks  of  Sidon  as  rich  in  ore  ;  but  its  ores 
were  not  native,  excepting  the  iron,  brought  down  from  Southern  Lebanon.  Its  tin  was 
brought  from  Britain  (Ber-et-tanic),  Spain,  and  the  Caucasus,  its  steel  from  Colchis,  its  gold 
and  copper  from  the  Red  Sea  and  Cyprus,  and  the  Sidonian  and  Tyrian  artificers  became 
famous  for  their  bronzes  and  other  works  in  metallurgy. 

The  Sidonians  were  already  a  commercial  nation  when  the  Egyptians  expelled  the 
shepherd  kings,  and  from  the  first  half  of  the  seventeenth  till  the  end  of  the  thirteenth 
century  b.c,  the  Sidonians  were  subject  to  the  Egyptians. 

A  papyrus  in  the  British  Museum  contains  the  account  of  an  imaginary  journey  made  by 
an  Egyptian  officer  into  Syria,  at  the  end  of  the  reign  of  Rameses  II.,  which  indicates  that 
Beirut,  Sidon,  and  Tyre  at  that  time  were  peaceful  tributaries  of  Egypt. 

The  Sidonians  supplied  the  mercantile  and  military  navy  of  Egypt,  and  during  this 
period,  when  no  rival  navy  existed,  Sidonian  trade  and  commercial  prosperity  reached  their 
highest  point.  Beyond  the  Nile  valley,  the  sailors  of  Sidon  and  Beirut  coasted  along  the 
shores  of  Africa  and  founded  Cambe,  afterwards  Carthage,  and  Hippo.  The  Egyptians  had 
a  superstitious  horror  of  the  sea,  regarding  it  as  impure,  and  as  the  domain  of  Set,  the  god  of 
evil,  the  adversary  of  Osiris.  An  Egyptian  navy  was  therefore  out  of  the  question.  Sidonian 
officers  and  seamen  manned  the  Egyptian  fleets  in  the   Mediterranean  and  the  Red  Sea,  and 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON.  43 

the  commerce  of  Solomon  between  Ophir  and  his  ports  of  Elath  and  Ezion  Geber  was  carried 
on  by  Tyrian  sailors,  the  descendants  of  the  old  Sidonian  navigators.  But,  alas  !  Great  Sidon 
is  now  only  little  Saida,  "  the  place  of  fishing."  Its  seamen  are  mere  coasting  sailors  running 
their  little  feluccas  and  shakhturs  along  the  Syrian  shores,  while  its  contracted  harbour  can 
hardly  shelter  its  tiny  craft  (see  page  45). 

The  ancient  city,  so  often  built,  destroyed,  and  re-built,  is  now  a  town  of  nine  thousand 
inhabitants,  and  in  its  want  of  business  life  and  enterprise,  a  typical  oriental  city.  The 
Israelites  never  conquered  it,  but  the  Egyptians,  Assyrians,  and  Persians  subdued  it,  and  it 
opened  its  gates  to  the  two-horned  Alexander  in  332  b.c.  Under  the  Romans  it  was  a 
wealthy  city,  and  it  continued  such  during  the  New  Testament  times,  when  our  Lord  visited  the 
borders  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  St.  Paul  found  Christian  friends  here  on  his  voyage  to  Rome. 
Its  Bishop  Theodorus  was  present  at  the  Council  of  Nice,  325  a.d.  During  the  Crusades,  Sidon 
was  alternately  in  the  hands  of  the  Franks  and  the  Muslims,  and  suffered  terribly  from  capture 
and  re-capture  by  the  hostile  armies.  The  town  is  situated  on  the  north-western  slope  of  a 
low  promontory  extending  down  to  the  sea.  In  front  of  the  sea  wall  a  chain  of  island  rocks 
runs  from  north  to  south,  formerly  enclosing  a  harbour  large  enough  to  hold  fifty  galleys  ;  but 
the  Druse  prince,  Fakhr  ed  Din,  filled  it  up  with  stones  and  earth  to  prevent  the  entrance 
of  Turkish  ships,  and  now  only  the  little  shakhturs  of  Kozta  Jiz  and  his  fellow  sailors  can 
find  anchorage  in  the  shallow  waters.  Sidon  is  a  walled  town,  and,  unlike  Beirut,  which  has 
overleaped  its  walls  and  spread  for  miles  around,  it  keeps  closely  pent  up  within  its  narrow 
limits.  A  more  compact  city  could  hardly  be  imagined,  for  not  only  are  the  streets  too 
narrow  to  allow  loaded  camels  to  pass  each  other  with  facility,  but  the  houses  are  to  a  great 
extent  built  on  arches  over  the  streets,  so  that  one  can  ride  or  walk  from  one  end  of  the 
town  to  the  other  under  dark,  gloomy  tunnels.  Within  the  town  are  six  great  khans, 
called  by  the  people  wakkaleh,  or  agencies.  They  are  quadrangular,  built  around  a  large 
paved  courtyard,  two  stories  high,  with  numerous  rooms  for  travellers  and  storehouses  for 
merchandise.  But  Beirut  has  destroyed  the  commerce  of  Sidon,  and  the  caravans,  bringing 
the  wheat  and  butter  of  the  Hauran  to  Beirut  and  carrying  back  the  wares  of  Europe,  pass  by 
Sidon,  outside  the  walls.  About  seven  hundred  of  the  people  are  Muslims,  five  hundred 
Jews,  and  the  rest  Catholics,  Maronites,  and  Protestants.  There  is  a  female  seminary  under 
the  care  of  the  American  Mission,  with  forty-five  boarders  and  ninety  day  scholars,  and  a 
boys'  high  school.  The  French  Sceurs  de  Charite  have  also  a  girls'  school,  the  Jesuits  a 
school  for  boys,  and  the  Muslim  Benevolent  Society  a  boys'  school. 

The  fruit  gardens  and  orchards  of  Sidon,  extending  half  a  mile  from  the  walls,  are  the 
pride  of  its  people,  and  abound  in  oranges,  lemons,  sweet  lemons,  figs,  apricots,  pomegranates, 
almonds,  plums,  apples,  peaches,  pears,  citrons,  and  bananas,  which  are  exported  by  sea  to 
Beirut  and  Alexandria,  and  by  land  to  all  the  towns  of  Lebanon  and  to  Damascus.  The  view 
of  the  plain  and  town  from  the  Neby  Yahia,  or  Tomb  of  John  the  Baptist,  a  mile  to  the  east, 
in  the  month  of  April  is  extremely  beautiful.     A  more  verdant  glade  than  that  south  of  the 


44 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


gardens  cannot  be  seen  even  in  the  charming  scenery  of 
southern  England.  But  its  verdure  is  vernal  only,  for 
while  the  gardens  and  orchards,  irrigated  by  the  Auwaly, 
retain  their  fresh  green  aspect  throughout  the  year,  the 
plain  and  hillsides  are  burned  by  the  summer  sun  to  an 
arid  and  dusty  brown. 

The  most  interesting  antiquities  about  Sidon  are  the 
fragments  of  mosaic  pavements  on  the 
north,  the  hill  of  broken  murex  purpura 
on  the  south-west,  from  which  the 
Tyrian  purple  dye  was  extracted,  and 


KHAN   NEBV   YUNAS   (THE   KHAN   OF  THE   PROPHET  JONAH). 

Adjoining  a  Muslim  shrine  sacred  to  his  memory.  Close  to  it  there  is  a  group  of 
mulberry-trees,  and  beyond  are  groves  of  olive  and  fig  trees  belonging  to  the  village 
of  Neby  Yunas,  called  also  El  Jujeh. 


the  famous  Necropolis  on  the  plain  south-east  of  the 
town.  This  city  of  the  dead,  as  mapped  by  Renan, 
contains  a  vast  number  of  tombs  of  various  kinds,  which 
are  deeply  interesting.  There  are  rectangular  grottoes, 
which  are  the  most  ancient,  entered  by  steps  cut  in  the 
sides  of  a  vertical  shaft,  from  which  doors  lead  into  rock- 
hewn  chambers  similar  to  those  in  Egypt.  The  vaulted 
grottoes  are  entered  by  nights  of  steps,  and  have  side 
niches  for  sarcophagi,  many  of  which  are  still  in  place. 
There  are  also  grottoes  lined  with  lime  cement,  painted  in  the  Grseco- Roman  style,  some 
having   Greek  inscriptions.       In    the    rectangular    grottoes    are    marble    sarcophagi    of  the 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


45 


VOL.  III. 


H 


46  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Phoenician  anthropoi'de  style,  fitted  to  the  shape  of  the  embalmed  body.  There  are  also 
sarcophagi  in  lead,  such  as  are  constantly  found  in  the  villages  east  of  the  city.  Those  in  the 
vaulted  grottoes  are  generally  of  pottery,  and  those  in  the  decorated  tombs  are  square,  profusely 
decorated  with  garlands  and  other  sculptured  ornaments.  About  ten  minutes  south-east  of  the 
Acre  Gate  of  Sidon  is  the  Mugharet  Ablun,  or  Cave  of  Apollo,  where,  in  1855,  was 
discovered  the  beautiful  black  basalt  sarcophagus  now  in  the  museum  of  the  Louvre  in  Paris. 
The  Phoenician  inscription  of  nine  hundred  and  ninety  words  on  its  lid  is  well  cut  and 
perfectly  preserved.  European  scholars  have  made  several  translations  of  it,  which  agree  in 
the  essential  features. 

"  In  the  month  Bui,  in  the  14th  of  my  reign,  King  Ashmunazar,  the  king  of  the  Sidonians,  son  of  Tabnith,  king  of  the  Sidonians,  grandson 
of  King  Ashmunazar,  king  of  the  Sidonians,  spake,  saying,  I  am  snatched  away  before  my  time,  like  the  flowing  of  a  river 

"  Every  royal  person,  and  every  man  who  shall  open  this  funeral  couch,  or  who  shall  take  away  the  sarcophagus  of  this  funeral  couch,  he 
shall  have  no  funeral  with  the  dead,  nor  be  buried  in  a  sepulchre,  nor  leave  behind  them  son  or  posterity  ....  and  the  holy  gods  shall 
cut  off  that  royal  person,  nor  shall  his  root  be  planted  downward,  nor  his  fruit  spring  upward,  for  I  am  Ashmunazar,  king  of  the  Sidonians, 
son  of  Tabnith,  king  of  the  Sidonians,  grandson  of  Ashmunazar,  king  of  the  Sidonians,  and  my  mother,  Immiastoreth,  priestess  of  Astarte,  our 
sovereign  queen,  daughter  of  King  Ashmunazar,  king  of  the  Sidonians 

"  It  is  we  who  have  built  this  temple  of  the  gods — in  Sidon  by  the  sea,  and  the  heavenly  powers  have  rendered  Astarte  favourable.  It  is  we 
who  have  erected  the  temple  to  Esmuno  and  the  sanctuary  of  Ene  Delil  in  the  mountain  ....  the  temple  of  Baal  Sidon,  and  the  temple 
of  Astarte,  the  glory  of  Baal,  lord  of  kings,  who  bestowed  on  us  Dor  and  Joppa  and  ample  corn  lands  which  are  at  the  root  of  Dan " 

This  inscription  is  written  in  the  Phoenician  character,  and  is  one  of  the  most  important 
Phoenician  inscriptions  yet  discovered,  the  next  in  interest  being  that  of  Mesha  on  the 
Moabite  stone,  the  Siloam  tablet,*  and  a  tariff  of  sacrifices  of  Punic  origin.  The  various 
Phoenician  cities  possessed  rich  archives  and  regular  records,  preserved  with  care  from  the 
most  ancient  times,  the  most  valuable  of  which  is  the  Graeco- Phoenician  work  of  Sanchoniathon 
the  Beirut  scholar,  and  dedicated  to  Abi  Baal,  king  of  Beirut.  It  is  the  opinion  of  Professor 
Sayce,  that  remains  of  the  old  Phoenician  libraries  must  still  exist  somewhere  in  the  unexcavated 
ruins  of  Syria.  The  gardeners  of  Sidon  are  constantly  on  the  watch  for  new  treasures,  as 
they  plough  the  soil  or  dig  foundations  for  building.  The  citadel  of  Sidon,  called  by  the  Arabs 
Kul'at  el  Mezzeh,  is  an  ancient  tower,  said  to  have  been  built  by  Louis  IX.  in  1253.  Near 
its  base  two  colossal  statues  were  recently  exhumed.  The  Kulat  el  Bahr,  or  Castle  on  the  Sea, 
stands  on  a  small  island  connected  with  the  land  by  a  bridge  of  nine  arches.  It  was  built 
in  the   thirteenth   century,  the   large   blocks  belonging    to   a   more   ancient   structure.     The 

*  As  the  "  Siloam  tablet  "  had  not  been  discovered  when  Colonel  Wilson  wrote  his  description  of  the  Conduit  and  Pools  of  Siloam  (see  page 
102  et  seq.,  vol.  i.),  a  few  words  respecting  it  must  be  added  here.  The  inscription  was  first  observed,  in  June,  1880,  by  a  pupil  of  Herr  Schick,  an 
architect  who  has  long  resided  in  Jerusalem.  He  was  wading  along  the  rock-cut  channel  which  conveys  water  from  the  Fountain  of  the  Virgin  to 
the  Upper  Pool  of  Siloam,  when  he  suddenly  slipped  and  fell  into  the  water ;  as  he  rose  he  noticed  "  some  marks  which  looked  like  letters  "  on 
the  rocky  wall  of  the  channel,  which  in  this  part  is  not  more  than  two  feet  wide  ;  its  length  is  one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  eight  feet,  but 
the  direct  distance  from  the  Fountain  to  the  Pool  is  only  one  thousand  one  hundred  and  four  feet,  for  the  channel  deviates  considerably  from 
a  straight  line.  The  inscription  is  in  a  recess  at  the  lower  end  of  the  conduit,  and  about  nineteen  feet  from  the  place  where  it  opens  out  into  the 
Upper  Pool  of  Siloam  (see  page  78,  vol.  i.).  Before  the  inscription  could  be  copied  it  was  necessary  to  reduce  the  level  of  the  water  till  the  stream 
was  not  more  than  six  inches  in  depth  ;  but  in  this  the  copyist  was  obliged  to  crouch  down  in  a  cramped  attitude,  for  the  last  line  was  still  only 
just  above  water.  Nevertheless  Herr  Schick  and  Professor  Sayce  each  made  a  copy,  and  Lieut.  Conder  afterwards  obtained  a  squeeze  of  the 
inscription  from  which  casts  were  made  for  distribution,  and  thus  many  independent  translations  (which  only  slightly  vary)  have  been  made. 
The  language  is  primitive  Hebrew,  the  characters  are  Phoenician  of  the  sixth  to  the  eighth  century  B.C.  The  record  implies  (according  to  Professor 
Sayce  and  others)  that  the  channel  was  excavated  from  both  ends,  and  that  the  workmen  met  in  the  middle.  "Behold  the  excavation  !  Now 
this  is  the  history  of  the  tunnel.  While  the  excavators  were  lifting  up  the  pick,  each  towards  the  other,  and  while  there  were, yet  three  cubits 
to  be  broken  through,  the  voice  of  one  called  to  his  neighbour,  for  there  was  a  (crookedness  ?)  in  the  rock  on  the  right.  They  rose  up  ...  . 
they  struck  in  the  west  of  the  excavation,  each  to  meet  the  other,  pick  to  pick  ;  and  there  flowed  the  waters  from  their  outlet  to  the  Pool  for  a 
distance  of  a  thousand  cubits,  and  (three-fourths  ?)  of  a  cubit  was  the  height  of  the  rock  over  the  head  of  the  excavation  here."— [M.  E.  R.] 


PHCENICIA  AND  LEBANON. 


47 


island  on  the  west  and  south-west  was  once  covered  by  a  massive  sea-wall,  protecting  the 
harbour  from  the  waves,  but  after  the   destruction  of  the    harbour  by  Fakhr  ed  Din,   the 


THE  CITADEL  OF   SAIDA,  THE   ANCIENT   SIDON. 

Now  called  the  Kul'at  el  Mezzeh.     It  stands  on  the  south-eastern  extremity  of  the  town,  on  a  heap  of  rubbish  in  which  layers  of  the  purple 

shell  still  are  visible. 


huge  blocks  were  removed  for  building  purposes,  and  in  rough  weather  the  sea  makes  a 
clean  breach  over  the  rocks  into  the  little  harbour.  The  old  seats  of  Phoenician  art  and 
commerce    have    fallen  into    ruin    and    decay.      Arvad,   Gebal,   Sidon  and  Tyre  are    hardly 


II    2 


43 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


known    to   modern   commerce,    while    Beirut   is   monopolizing    the    Syrian    trade.      The   art 
of  extracting   the  purple    dye  from  the  murex  purpura,   millions  of  whose  broken  fragments 


A   PEASANT   WOMAN   CHURNING. 
The  churn  is  made  of  the  tanned  skin  of  a  goat  stripped  off  whole ;  it  is  partly  filled  with  milk,  and  the  extremities  being  securely  closed,  it  is 
suspended  in  any  convenient  place  by  four  ropes  fastened  to  the  skin  of  the  legs ;  it  is  then  regularly  moved  to  and  fro,  with  a  jerk,  until 
the  process  is  completed. 

form  a  hill  at  the  south-west  gate  of  Sidon,  is  hopelessly  lost.  The  arts  of  gold  and  silver 
fancy  work  and  the  weaving  of  silk  and  wool  have  left  Sidon  and  Tyre  for  the  more  thriving 
markets  of  Beirut  and  Damascus. 


-^-"v 


SITE   OF   SAREPTA. 


As  early  as  the  thirteenth  century  this  city  was  in  ruins,  and  now  only  fragments  of  its  foundations  exist,  chiefly  on  a  headland  called  'Ain  cl 
Kantarah  and  also  along  the  shore  south  of  it,  extending  for  a  mile  or  more.  Early  Greek  and  Roman  writers  speak  highly  in  praise  of  the 
wines  of  Sarepta. 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN. 


~^HE  route  from  Sidon  to  Tyre  is  by  the  seashore,  generally  pastureless  and  uninteresting, 
■*■  yet,  in  its  ease  and  the  absence  of  rugged  stone-heaps  and  slippery  rocks,  a  great  contrast 
to  the  ordinary  road  of  Palestine.  Though  the  sea  is  tideless  there  is  generally  a  broad  belt 
of  sand,  not  too  soft  or  heavy.  Behind  this  runs  the  narrow  Phoenician  plain,  rich  and  well 
watered.  Wells  and  springs  are  frequent  throughout,  often  affording  pure  and  sweet  water 
within  a  few  feet  of  the  sea  itself.  Beyond  the  plain  the  bare  but  terraced  hills  rise  abruptly, 
steep  and  rocky.  Several  streams  intersect  the  path,  across  which  have  been  bridges  in 
Roman  and  perhaps  in  later  days,  but  floods  and  neglect  have  left  only  traces  of  what  once  was, 
in  a  few  buttresses  and  here  and  there  the  spring  of  an  arch.  In  winter  it  is  often  difficult  to 
ford  or  swim  the  swollen  rivers,  especially  the  Nahr  ez  Zaherany,  or  "  Flowery  River  "  (so 
named  from  the  mass  of  oleanders  which  fringe  it),  shortly  before  reaching  the  village  of 
Surafend,  which  represents  the  Zarephath  of  the  Old  Testament,  the  Sarepta  of  the  New  (see 
above).  There  is  little  to  mark  the  spot  where  Elijah  sojourned  so  long  with  the  hospitable 
Avidow  and  blessed  her  exhaustless  cruse,  for  the  ancient  site,  open  and  unprotected,  close  to 
the  shore,  has  long  been  deserted,  and  its  inhabitants  have  made  a  new  settlement  more  than 
two  miles  inland,  under  the  shelter  of  the  hills,  to  which  they  have  transferred  the  ancient  name, 
and  where  they  are  safe  from  the  raids  of  Bedawin  horsemen.  All  that  is  left  of  old  Zarephath 
are  a  few  heaps  of  stones,  the  greater  part  of  the  materials  having  been  carried  off  for  modern 


50  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

buildings  to  Beirut.  There  is,  however,  a  little  wely  called  El  Khidr,  the  Arabic  name  for 
St  George,  who  is  reverenced  as  a  Muslim  as  well  as  a  Christian  saint ;  and  the  wely  is 
reasonably  believed  to  be  the  successor  of  the  Christian  chapel  which  the  Crusaders  built  over 
the  traditional  site  of  the  house  of  Elijah's  hostess.  A  double  interest  attaches  to  this  spot, 
from  the  tradition  (for  which  we  must  confess  there  is  no  absolute  historical  ground,  but  surely 
much  probability)  that  Sarepta  was  also  blessed  by  the  presence  of  a  greater  than  Elijah,  and  that 
here  our  Lord  showed  mercy  on  the  daughter  of  the  Syrophcenician  woman.  We  know  that 
the  village  He  visited  was  somewhere  in  the  coasts  of  Tyre  and  Sidon.  The  context  seems  to 
imply  it  was  beyond  Tyre,  and  this  is  almost  the  only  village  which  would  meet  these 
requirements.  What  more  natural  than  that  He  should  visit  the  place  where  His  great 
forerunner  sojourned  so  long  ?  The  modern  inhabitants  of  Surafend  have  moved  the  sacred 
localities  to  their  new  home,  and  point  out  in  the  present  village  the  house  of  the  widow  and 
the  spot  where  our  Lord  met  the  Syrophcenician  widow.  But  nothing  is  more  certain  than  that 
until  after  the  times  of  the  Crusades  the  place  was  close  to  the  shore. 

Along  the  lonely  strand  skirting  the  fertile  but  scarcely  cultivated  plain  we  proceed 
towards  Tyre.  Strange  that  such  desolation  should  have  overtaken  one  of  the  chief  cradles  of 
early  civilisation !  Now  lawlessness  and  barbarism  have  driven  Phoenicia  back  into  the  rocky 
hills,  and  the  weary  peasant,  with  his  tools  on  his  shoulder,  spends  half  his  time  in  journeying 
from  security  to  his  field,  and  in  toiling  back  at  sunset  to  his  rocky  home. 

The  route  to  Tyre  continues  near  the  shore.  Not  a  village  is  to  be  seen : — here  and  there 
ancient  tombs  and  a  few  piles  of  stones.  Several  little  streams  have  to  be  forded,  till  at  length 
we  reach  the  banks  of  the  Kasimiyeh,  the  ancient  Leontes,  still  known  higher  up  as  the  Litany, 
when  we  turn  inland  by  the  traces  of  a  Roman  road  towards  one  of  the  few  bridges  which 
remain  unbroken  in  the  country.  Here  the  plain  and  the  valley  of  the  river  (see  page  53)  are 
well  cultivated.  There  is  a  khan,  not  in  ruins,  for  the  convenience  of  travellers,  and  several 
villages  on  either  side  of  the  river's  course,  one  just  to  the  south  of  the  bridge.  The  stream  is 
far  too  deep  and  rapid  to  be  forded,  and  hence  the  bridge  has  been  of  necessity  rebuilt  (see 
page  52),  a  rare,  perhaps  unique  exception  to  the  ordinary  system  of  the  country.  Hence  we 
might  in  a  short  hour  ride  to  the  historic  capital  of  Phoenicia.  But  a  day  is  well  spent  in  an 
expedition  up  the  tortuous  course  of  the  Leontes.  For  several  miles  inland  the  river  winds 
through  a  rich  corn  plain  of  some  extent,  into  which  it  suddenly  emerges  from  a  deep  fissure  in 
the  long  range  of  the  wall  of  Galilee.  The  plain  is  for  the  most  part  treeless,  though  the  banks 
of  the  stream  are  richly  fringed  with  oleanders.  The  country  is  best  understood  by  riding 
through  the  corn-fields  on  the  north  bank.  Under  the  foot  of  the  hills  is  a  charming  piece  of 
olive  ground,  with  grateful  shade,  and  a  village  behind  it,  nestled  at  the  foot  of  the  cliff.  It  is 
more  than  half  an  hour's  very  rough  scrambling  for  the  horses  to  reach  the  crest,  when  we  find 
ourselves,  not  on  the  top  of  the  hill,  but  on  the  brow  of  an  upland  down  studded  with  villages, 
and  with  a  noble  view  seawards,  which  well  repays  the  climb.  The  villages  are  generally  three 
or  four  miles  apart  and  have  names  evidently  derived  from  the  Hebrew,  as  Rezieh,  Zerayiyeh, 


THE  PHOENICIAN  PLAIN. 


5i 


Zara,  Athshit,  Shukin,  and  the 
like.  But  although  part  of 
the  old  tribe  of  Asher,  the 
survey  of  the  Palestine  Ex- 
ploration has  halted  at  the 
bank  of  the  Leontes,  and  no 
research  has  as  yet  been  de- 
voted to  their  identification, 
beyond  the  very  few  names 
mentioned  in  the  Book  of 
Joshua.  Each  of  these  villages 
is  surrounded  by  a  grove  of 
fig-trees,  bare  enough  in 
winter,  but  without  which  in 
summer  these  uplands  would 
be  dreary  indeed.  In  the 
centre  of  many  of  them  is  a 
mound  or  heap  composed  of 
the  debris  of  the  old  Phoenician 
fort. 

Though  as  we  ride  along 
we  are  very  near  the  Leontes, 
the  river  gives  no  sign  of  its 
neighbourhood.  It  is  never 
mentioned  in  Scripture,  yet  is 
the  largest  river  in  the  country 
after  the  Jordan,  and  has  some 
peculiar  features.  Rising  near 
Ba'albec,  far  away  north  in 
the  Buka'a,  or  Ccelo-Syria,  it 
has  its  farthest  source,  like 
the  Jordan  and  the  Orontes, 
in  the  plain  which  commences 
the  separation  between  the 
Lebanon  and  Anti-Lebanon 
(see  small  map,  page  12). 
We  may  stand  on  a  slope  of 
Lebanon  and  see  the  origin 
of  the  watersheds  of  the  three  rivers  from  the  same  spot,  and  it  is  difficult  to  realise,  as  we 


lllllillllllillllilf 

iJlllllllf  'Ills  I  lilltlllllfllll'l 


gaze, 


52 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


how  utterly  different  is  the  subsequent  career  of  each.  For  many  miles  the  tiny  streamlets  of 
Litany  and  Jordan  flow  southwards  in  almost  parallel  lines,  while  the  Orontes  takes  a  due 
northward  course.  The  almost  imperceptible  rise  which  separates  them  gradually  swells  into  a 
rido-e,  forming  a  watershed  between  Lebanon  and  Hermon,  till  the  Litany  makes  a  rift  through 
Northern  Galilee,  a  stupendous  gorge,  which  affords  the  grandest  scenery  in  the  country,  as  by 
the  natural  bridge  of  El  Kuweh  (see  page  134,  vol.  i;.)  Dashing  through" a  glen  some  thousand 
feet  deep  in  places,  just  below  the  great  castle  of  Shukif  it  meets  a  mountain  barrier,  a  spur 


iT^k 


BRIDGE   OVER  THE   NAHR  EL   KASIMiYEH    (THE   LEONTES). 

On  the  ancient  Roman  coast-road,  which  is  now  traversed  by  telegraph  wires  ;  higher  up,  this  river  is 

called  El  Litany. 

of  Lebanon  running  east  and  west.  Exit  seems  impossible.  The 
river  rushes  straight  against  the  mighty  wall  and  turns  at  right 
angles  to  the  west,  working  its  way  by  a  fissure  wholly  invisible 
till  the  traveller  is  close  upon  its  edge,  and  which  splits  the  apparently  continuous  range  to  its 
very  centre.  The  tableland  to  the  north  of  the  river  continues  without  any  prominent  hills  or 
deep  valleys  from  the  ridge  above  the  mouth  of  the  Kasimiyeh  (called  in  its  upper  course  the 
Litany,  doubtless  its  old  Phoenician  name,  corrupted  by  the  Greeks  into  Leontes),  as  far  as 
Shukif  and  the  range  which  forms  the  watershed  of  the  Jordan. 

Returning  again  to  the  Phoenician  plain,  the  path  lies  for  six  miles  along  the  shore  on 
hard,  smooth  sand.  The  sweep  of  the  land  makes  a  fine  embayed  coast  line,  with  the  headland 
by  Sarepta  forming  one  end  of  the  bow,  and  the  moles,  buildings,  and  ruins  of  Tyre,  in  front, 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN. 


53 


forming  the  other  (see  page  57).  Tyre,  no  longer  an  island  but  a  peninsula,  stands  out 
boldly  into  the  sea,  and  the  first  view  is  very  imposing,  whether  we  approach  it  from  the 
north  or  the  south.  A  bare  strip  of  sand  intervenes  between  the  port  and  the  plain  behind, 
which  of  late  years  is  rapidly  becoming  a  bright  oasis  of  mulberry  and  orange  groves  and 


gardens,  such  as  have  long 
adorned  the  environs  of  Sidon. 
But  these  do  not  reach  the 
shore,  and  we  pass  them  on  the  left.  On 
the  right  several  grim  skeletons  of  vessels, 
driven  ashore  from  the  dangerous  anchorage 
of  the  roadstead,  stand  out  from  the  shallow 
sea ;  and  just  opposite  to  them  is  a  fine  old 
fountain,  an  arched  building  covering  several  cisterns  fed  by  springs  beneath,  and  much  resorted 
to  by  the  inhabitants  of  this  side  of  the  city.  Twenty  years  ago  Tyre,  now  called  Es  Sur, 
was  a  miserable,  squalid  village  ;  but  it  has  latterly  much  increased,  and  though  still  chiefly  a 
labyrinth  of  ruins,  yet  contains  a  population  of  over  seven  thousand,  with  some  bazaars  fairly 
stocked.  A  few  small  craft  may  generally  be  seen  in  the  roadstead,  and  a  number  of  fishing 
vol.  in.  1 


THE  VALLEY  OF  THE  LEONTES,  NEAR  THE  COAST. 

The  river,  the  Nahr  el  Kasimiyeh,  is  of  considerable  depth  at  this  point 
and  flows  hence  to  the  sea  in  a  very  serpentine  course. 


54  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

vessels  in  the  inner  harbour.  Just  at  t'  e  north  gate  of  the  city,  by  which  we  enter,  is  the 
principal  market,  where  scarlet  leather,  millstones  from  the  Hauran,  and  tobacco,  are  the  staples 
of  commerce.  The  inhabitants  are  chiefly  fishermen  and  some  dyers,  though  the  old  Tyrian 
dyes  are  no  more,  and  we  may  search  in  vain  for  Tyrian  purple.  The  streets  are  most 
wretched,  very  few  feet  wide  and  wattled  over  at  intervals  with  palm  leaves  and  decayed 
brushwood;  while  windowless,  mud-floored  hovels  nestle  among  huge  fragments  of  polished 
granite  and  porphyry  columns  prostrate  in  rubbish.  The  strip  of  sand  between  the  well 
and  the  gate  has  accumulated  on  the  causeway  by  which  Alexander  the  Great  united  the 
city  to  the  mainland ;  for  Tyre  originally  was  an  island  rather  less  than  a  mile  in  length, 
containing  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five  acres,  and  with  the  harbours  between  it  and  the 
mainland,  on  which  was  the  larger  city  of  Palaeotyrus.  The  moles  or  breakwaters  of  the 
ancient  harbours  can  still  be  seen  both  on  the  north  and  the  south  sides  of  the  peninsula,  the 
greater  part  of  which  consists  of  ruin-strewn  fields,  affording  a  charming  camping  ground, 
especially  to  the  west  of  the  modern  town,  where  the  tents  can  be  pitched  within  a  few  yards 
of  the  waves,  looking  down  on  the  mass  of  granite  columns  and  marble  blocks  which  pave  the 
bottom  of  the  clear  sea  (see  page  59).  The  ruins  of  Tyre  above  the  water  are  few  indeed, 
and  beyond  the  moles  and  harbour  are  none  which  carry  us  back  to  the  times  of  Phoenician 
glory  and  supremacy,  before  its  conquest  by  Alexander  the  Great.  One,  and  one  only, 
building  of  any  interest  remains,  and  its  associations  are  far  indeed  removed  from  the  history 
which  must  most  absorb  the  traveller's  thoughts,  the  story  of  the  queen  of  commerce,  the 
mistress  of  the  seas,  and  the  mother  of  mighty  nations.  The  Cathedral  of  the  Crusaders 
occupies  a  conspicuous  position  at  the  south-east  angle  of  the  shrunken  city,  and  though  roofless, 
and  at  the  west  end  wholly  demolished,  is  still  comparatively  perfect  (see  page  56).  It  is  one 
of  the  largest  of  the  many  Crusading  churches  of  Syria,  and  occupies  the  site  of  a  much  older 
and  yet  more  historic  building,  the  basilica  of  Constantine.  Within  the  last  few  years  the 
German  Government  have  obtained  a  sort  of  protectorate  over  it,  and  prevented  the  utter 
demolition  which  threatened  it  as  a  mere  quarry  for  building.  They  have  also  excavated 
much  of  the  debris  which  choked  the  interior,-  and  revealed  many  details  of  its  architecture. 
Comte  de  Vogiie,  the  first  living  authority  on  Syrian  architecture,  fixes  the  date  of  its  foundation 
1 125  a.d.,  by  the  Venetian  Crusaders,  who  dedicated  it  to  St.  Mark.  But  it  has  an  earlier 
history  still.  The  original  church  was  built  by  Constantine,  Paulinus  was  its  bishop,  and  the 
historian  Eusebius  delivered  the  oration  at  its  consecration,  which  he  has  preserved  at  full 
length  in  his  Ecclesiastic  History,  simply  stating  that  it  was  the  address  delivered  on  the 
occasion  by  a  certain  man  of  moderate  merit.  In  that  church  were  laid  the  bones  of  the  great 
father  of  the  Church,  Origen.  But  in  evil  times  and  national  convulsions  it  had  become,  we 
know  not  how,  a  ruin,  and  the  Crusaders  nobly  restored  it.  It  measured  two  hundred  and 
sixteen  feet  long  by  one  hundred  and  thirty-six  feet  wide,  and  though  we  dare  not  controvert 
the  architectural  decision  of  De  Vogue,  it  is  evident  to  every  one  who  sees  it  that  the  restoration 
was  on  the  old  lines,  on  the  Greek  basilica  model,  not  on  the  Latin.     There  are  the  three 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN. 


55 


apses  at  the  east  end,  which  the  Muslims  have  since  incorporated  into  the  city  walls,  and  I 
cannot  but  think  that  both  the  greater  part  of  these  apses  as  well  as  the  lower  corners  of  the 
walls  are  the  original  work  of  Constantine.  A  few  years  ago  the  interior  was  crowded  with 
squalid  hovels  clustering  on  the  sides.  Now  all  have  been  cleared  out,  and  the  area  is  only 
strewn  by  the  colossal  red  granite  columns,  which  once  stood  upright  and  supported  the  roof. 
These  shafts  and  pilasters,  some  of  them  double,  are  from  six  to  eight  feet  in  diameter  and 


THE  GATE   OF  TYRE   (SDR). 

There  are  two  springs  of  fresh  water  on  the  north  side  of  the  peninsula,  one  of  which  is  close  to  this  gate.    It  has  been  conjectured  that  they 

are  connected  with  the  fountains  of  Ras  el  'Ain. 


about  twenty-six  feet  long,  yet  they  are  only  broken  fragments,  and  no  doubt  were  utilised  by 
Constantine  from  some  of  the  condemned  heathen  temples.  Though  their  removal  has  been 
more  than  once  attempted  by  the  Muslims,  they  proved  too  massive  to  be  broken,  too  heavy 
to  be  lifted.  Of  the  resting  place  of  Origen  no  mark  remains.  Frederick  Barbarossa's  body 
is  believed  to  lie  under  the  central  apse.  The  emperor  died  at  Tarsus,  and  all  down  that  long 
coast  of  Syria  day  after  day  the  funeral  procession  marched,  till,  halting  at  Antioch,  there  was 

I  2 


56 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


deposited  the  heart  and  intestines  of  the  grand  Crusader,  while  his  bones  were  carried  on 
hither,  to  be  lain  within  the  limits  of  the  Sacred  Land.  Few  churches,  indeed,  can  vie  in 
historic  memories  with  the  Cathedral  of  Tyre. 

Yet  when  we  climb  up,  and,  standing  on  the  apse  of  that  old  church,  look  forth  upon  the 


RUINS  OF  THE  CATHEDRAL  CHURCH    AT  TYRE. 
Eusebius  describes  this  building  as  the  most  splendid  of  all  the  temples  of  Phoenicia.    Among  the  ruins  there  is  a  double  column  of  red  syenite 

granite,  now  prostrate,  consisting  of  two  parallel  connected  shafts  of  great  size. 


sand-heaps  on  our  left,  the  sea  beyond,  and  the  breakwaters,  and  see  the  red  jagged  fragments 
to  the  right,  the  long  history  of  that  church  is  but  of  yesterday  when  compared  with  the  remote 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN. 


57 


memories  behind  it.  Egypt  and  Assyria  may  carry  us  many  centuries  farther  still,  but  what  is 
their  direct  connection  with  us  when  compared  with  Phoenicia  ?  That  strange  and  mysterious 
people,  where  are  they  ?  What  descendants  have  they  left  ?  Where  can  we  trace  them  ? 
They  were  scarcely  of  the  land.     Like  some  fowl  of  the  sea,  which  never  touches  shore  or  visits 


mh  JilAlA 


the  land,  save  to  rear  its  young,  the 
Phoenician  asked  no  territory,  con- 
quered no  nations,  yet  was  found  on 
every  coast.  These  original  settle- 
ments of  Tyre  and  Sidon,  what  are 
they  ?  Along  that  straight,  mono- 
tonous, havenless  Syrian  coast,  the 
very  last  we  should  have  imagined  to 
have  fostered  a  spirit  of  commerce 
and  enterprise,  here  and  there  in 
front  of  some  sandspits,  or  at  the  foot 
of  some  headland,  there  rises  from 
the  water  a  ridge  of  reefs,  or  a  rocky 
islet.  Like  some  sea-swallow,  the 
Phoenician  seized  on  this.  There  he 
made  his  perch,  and  took  breath  for 
a  while  between  his  adventurous 
voyages.  Such  rocky  islets  or  head- 
lands are    Tyre   (see  above),  Sidon  "Tom?  ofK.R.ax, 

KABR   HIRAM. 

(see  page  45),  BerytUS,  Gebal,  BotryS,      And  the  neighbouring  village  of  Hanawieh,  with  a  view  of  the  peninsula  of  Tyre  as 

it  appears  from  this  spot. 

Tripoli,    and   Aradus    [the   modern 

Beirut  (see  pages  28  and  41),  Jebeil,  Batrun,  Tarabalus  (see  pages  5  and  9),  and  Ruad],  most 
of  them  very  similar  in  position,  and  three  of  them — Jebeil,  Batrun,  and  Tarabalus,  in  their 
little  reef  of  rocks  fronting  and  parallel  to  the  headland,  close  reproductions  of  the  site  of 
Tyre.     Tyre,  though  historically  the  daughter  of  Sidon,  soon  became  the  leading  city  of  the 


58  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

federation.  What  does  not  Europe  owe  in  the  way  of  civilisation  to  these  decaying  villages  ? 
We  have  but  to  look  to  the  glowing  denunciations  of  Ezekiel  to  see  how  vast  and  how  varied 
was  their  trade.  Tyre  was  the  inventress  and  the  cradle  of  glass  manufacture,  and  for 
centuries  she  retained  her  pre-eminence.  It  was  from  Tyre  that  some  adventurous  monks, 
pilgrims  from  the  coasts  of  Northumbria,  brought  into  England  the  secret  of  the  manufacture, 
and  planted  on  the  banks  of  the  Wear  the  first  glass  Works  of  the  West,  in  the  days  of  the  Saxon 
heptarchy.  Hence  came  the  brilliant  dyes  which  made  resplendent  the  royal  robes  of  kings, 
hence  the  bronze  and  metal  which  equipped  the  armies  of  antiquity.  The  tiny  crafts  of 
Phoenicia  penetrated  into  unknown  seas,  and  brought  back  to  the  East  the  news  of  a  world 
beyond  the  Pillars  of  Hercules.  Tyre  worked  the  mines  of  Spain,  and  freighted  her  ships  with 
the  tin  of  Cornwall.  From  this  little  rock  sprang  the  men  who  dotted  the  western  shores  of  the 
Mediterranean  with  their  colonies.  She  was  the  mother  of  that  Carthage  which  succeeded  her 
as  mistress  of  the  seas,  and  all  but  wrested  the  empire  of  the  world  from  her  rival,  Rome. 
But  chief  of  all,  to  Phoenicia  we  owe  our  alphabet.  Hence  Cadmus  borrowed  those  characters 
which  have  enshrined  the  strains  of  Homer,  and  have  become  the  framework  for  the  expression 
of  every  language  of  Europe. 

When  this  marvellous  city  rose  we  know  not,  for  its  indigenous  literature  has  perished,  and 
we  have  but  a  few  inscriptions  and  a  few  characters  on  coins  to  tell  us  what  was  its  language. 
But  at  the  time  of  the  Exodus,  1450  B.C.,  it  was  a  strong  city  (Joshua  xix.  29),  and  in  the  reign 
of  David  it  was  famous,  not  only  for  its  maritime  prowess,  but  for  its  arts  and  skill ;  its  seamen 
brought  him  cedars  from  Lebanon,  its  masons  and  carpenters  built  his  palace.  Still  closer  was 
the  intercourse  between  Hiram  and  Solomon,  who  formed  a  treaty  of  alliance  and  commerce. 
Israel  fed  the  great  city,  which  supplied  the  architect,  the  workmen,  and  many  of  the  materials 
for  the  Temple.  But  of  the  Tyre  of  that  day  we  can  trace  nothing,  unless  it  be  the  massive 
substructions  of  the  harbour.  Yet  throughout  the  long  period  of  Persian  supremacy,  Tyre  and 
her  sister  cities  escaped  all  molestation.  Careful  to  maintain  their  trade,  the  men  of  Tyre 
always  made  judicious  alliances,  and  having  no  ambition  for  territory  on  shore,  were  voluntary 
allies  rather  than  vassals,  and  though  Sidon  was  conquered  by  Ochus,  Tyre  remained  until  its 
capture  by  Alexander  after  a  seven  months'  siege.  The  numberless  granite  columns,  which 
strew  the  shore  and  form  the  bed  of  the  sea,  all  belong  to  the  second  Tyre,  which  soon  rose 
from  its  ashes,  and  continued  to  flourish  till  destroyed  at  the  end  of  the  second  century  by 
Pescennius  Niger.  Again  it  rose  and  maintained  its  prosperity  till  the  time  of  the  Crusades. 
It  was  long  held  by  the  Christians,  and  in  its  cathedral  was  celebrated  one  of  the  last  religious 
services  held  before  the  final  embarkation  of  the  last  remnant  of  the  chivalry  of  Europe.  The 
final  blow  to  its  prosperity  was  given  by  the  conquest  of  Syria  by  the  Ottomans,  in  15 16  a.d. 

But  we  must  not  run  on  into  a  history  of  Tyre.  We  have  been  led  to  muse  on  the  past,  as 
we  wonder  how  she  has  become  so  utterly  ruined  and  where  her  ruins  are.  Perhaps  they  have 
served  as  a  quarry  for  the  whole  coast,  and  her  stones  may  now  be  for  the  most  part  in  Acre 
and  Beirut.     It  has  been  the  fate  of  places  which  have  been  continuously  inhabited  to  have  far 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN. 


59 


less  to  reveal  of  their  old  history  than  have  those  which  have  been  destroyed  and  then  deserted. 
Still  the  evidences  of  a  great  past  are  not  far  to  seek.     As  we  stroll  along  the  shore,  especially 
on  the  south  side  of  the  promontory,  the  shingle  is  composed  of  broken  pottery  almost  as 
much  as  of  natural  pebbles,  the  old  columns  lie  in  every  direction,  pierced  by  the  pholas  and 
festooned  with  seaweed.     The  south  side  gives  the  clearest  idea  of  the  plan  and  position  of 
the  ancient  city,  on  the  foundations  and  massive  sea-walls  of  which  we  may  note  the  fishermen 
day  after  day  spreading  their  nets,  while 
the  columns  and  capitals  have   been   cast  -«■■  ■  i.  ..  ...i...  i .  i,^,,  ,vii  u , ,,  m  :,m .  .t,mn  \ 

into  the  sea,  and  "  her  stones  and  dust 
in  the  midst  of  the  water "  (see  below). 
The  mole  on  this  side  seems  to  have  pro- 


THE   REMAINS   OF  TYRE. 

The  shore  is  strewn  from  one  end  to  the  other,  along  the  edge  of  the  water  and 
in  the  water,  with  columns  of  red  and  grey  granite  of  various  dimensions, 
the  only  remaining  monuments  of  ancient  Tyre. 


tected  a  harbour,  the  Egyptian,  larger 
than  that  which  still  exists  at  the  north 
end  of  the  island,  known  to  the  ancients 
as  the  Sidonian  harbour,  and  it  is  very 
possible  there  may  have  been  quays 
and  wharfs  where  is  now  the  broad  belt 
of  sand  south  of  Alexander's  Causeway. 
This  was  very  narrow  at  first,  but  the 
current  has  rapidly  silted  up  the  shallow  bay,  till  the  neck  is  almost  as  wide  as  the  island  itself. 
The  process  has  long  been  going  on,  for  at  the  south-east  angle  of  the  former  island,  and  on 
what  was  once  sea,  stands  what  is  called  the  Algerian  tower,  a  portion  of  an  old  line  of 
fortification  constructed  of  the  materials  of  earlier  buildings,  yet  itself  certainly  not  later  than 
the  time  of  the  Crusaders,  and  probably  part  of  their  line  of  defence.  The  present  gate  (see 
page  55)   is  probably  also  on  the  site  of  the  mediaeval  portal ;  but,  though  duly  guarded,  its  use 


6o 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


has  gone,  for  only  fragments  of  the  wall  remain  beyond  the  limits  of  the  shrunken  town,  and  on 
all  sides  the  place  is  completely  open,  almost  every  street  having  a  free  exit  into  the  open 
ground. beyond.  If  we  are  inclined  to  wonder  at  the  paucity  of  the  remains  of  old  Tyre,  we 
must  remember  that  for  ages  the  site  has  been  a  quarry  for  building  material.     We  noticed 


RESERVOIRS   OF    RAS   EL   'AIN    AND   PART   OF  THE   ROMAN    AQUEDUCT. 
Close  to  this  spot  stood  Palaeotyrus,  of  which  no  vestige  now  remains,  the  materials  having  been  carried  away  by  Alexander  (332  B.C.)  to  construct 

the  mole  or  causeway  which  unites  insular  Tyre  to  the  mainland. 


close  to  the  modern  houses  a  pit  recently  excavated  for  this  purpose,  not  less  than  thirty  feet 
below  their  level.  Yet  even  at  that  depth  the  walling  was  composed  of  the  broken  columns 
and  material  of  still  older  buildings.  Lower  still,  therefore,  must  lie  buried  the  Tyre  of  Hiram 
and  of  Solomon. 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN. 


61 


We     stroll    on     a    little 
farther.     What  are  those  great 
heaps  on  the  plain  a  little  way 
back   from   the  shore  ?     They 
are  simply  masses  of  sea-shell, 
of  two  or  three  species  [Murex 
trunculus    and    Murex    bran- 
daris).       In    the    north    they 
would    be    taken    for    kitchen- 
middens  like  those  of  Denmark, 
claim   no  pre-historic   antiquity;  they  are 
simply  the  silent  witnesses   of  an  extinct 
industry  of  Tyre.     From   the   fish  which 
inhabited  these  shells  the  purple  dye  was 
obtained,  only  one  drop  from  each  mollusc. 
Well  may  the  colour  have  been  so  costly. 

From  the  south  side  we  can  proceed  to 
the  reservoir  of  Ras  el  '  Ain,  "  the  head  of 

VOL.  III. 


AQUEDUCT,    RAS   EL   'AIN. 

Of  Saracenic  origin,  its  slightly  pointed  arches  are  in  many  places  almost 
concealed  by  luxuriant  vegetation. 

K 


62  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

the  fountain,"  the  farther  limit  of  Old  Tyre,  or  Palxotyrus  (see  page  60).  The  mainland  Tyre, 
as  this  really  was,  claimed  to  be  the  original  city,  though  we  may  feel  certain  that  the  island 
was  from  the  very  earliest  existence  of  the  colony  inhabited  and  fortified,  and  the  commercial 
centre.  There  are  few  if  any  remains  of  the  mainland  Tyre  above  ground,  but  sufficient  in  the 
way  of  foundations  to  show  the  great  extent  of  the  city.  Ras  el  'Ain  is  an  hour's  ride,  about 
four  and  a  half  miles  from  insular  Tyre,  and  along  the  shore,  from  the  one  to  the  other,  the 
city  extended.  It  was  not  fortified,  and  doubtless  many  of  the  dwellings  were  suburban,  with 
orchards  and  gardens  extending  back  towards  the  hills.  But  all  is  now  corn-plain  or  waste. 
We  can  trace  the  line  of  the  aqueduct  by  which  water  was  conveyed  from  these  springs  to  the 
island.  Ras  el  'Ain  itself  is  a  picturesque  group  of  ruins,  with  some  water-mills  and  hovels, 
and  the  group  of  trees  are  refreshing.  The  springs  are  numerous  and  copious.  The  drainage 
of  the  sandstone  strata  appears  to  be  concentrated  towards  this  spot,  and  gushes  forth  with 
great  force.  It  is  collected  in  great  tanks  of  masonry,  each  built  round  a  great  spring,  which 
pours  immense  volumes  of  water  with  great  force  from  the  bottom  of  the  reservoirs  (see  page 
60).  The  original  intention  of  these  massive  structures,  which  in  some  points  recall  the 
masonry  of  the  Pools  of  Solomon,  near  Bethlehem  (see  page  145,  vol.  i.),  has  evidently  been 
to  force  the  water  up  to  a  sufficient  height  to  supply  the  aqueduct.  This  is  now  completely 
ruined,  but  can  be  traced  the  whole  way  along  the  plain,  first  of  all  trending  rather  inland,  till 
almost  opposite  the  island  it  reaches  a  massive  ruin,  probably  another  great  cistern,  from  which 
the  aqueduct  turned  westward  to  the  shore  (see  page  57).  The  masonry  of  the  aqueduct,  the 
shape  of  the  arches,  point  to  the  Roman  period  as  the  probable  date  of  its  construction  (see 
page  60),  but  the  reservoirs  themselves  may  claim  a  much  greater  antiquity.  Tradition  and 
mediaeval  writers  popularly  assign  them  to  King  Solomon,  and  some  later  writers  ascribe  them 
to  Alexander.  But  the  great  conqueror  had  enough  to  do  to  take  the  city  and  at  once  left  it, 
and  it  is  scarcely  likely  that  he  should  immediately  after  his  conquest  have  set  about  such  a 
great'  work.  Far  more  reasonably  may  we  believe  that  here,  if  nowhere  else,  we  have  a  silent 
evidence  of  the  genius  of  the  old  Phoenicians ;  and  I  am  not  aware  of  any  similar  work 
elsewhere  constructed  by  the  Romans.  That  they  constructed  the  aqueduct  we  may  well 
believe,  but  probably  on  the  lines  of  a  previous  channel,  for  we  may  be  very  sure  that  the  first 
operation  of  any  besieger,  whether  Egyptian,  Assyrian,  Persian,  Greek,  or  Roman,  would  be  to 
interrupt  this  great  water  supply.  Indeed,  one  aqueduct  is  as  late  as  the  Saracenic  or 
Crusading  times  (see  page  61).  It  starts  from  the  fourth  and  smallest  cistern,  has  pointed 
arches,  and  has  been  used  for  the  purpose  of  irrigating  the  plain.  The  largest  cistern  is 
octagonal,  sixty-six  feet  in  diameter,  inside  measure,  twenty-five  feet  high,  and  its  wall,  which 
is  massively  revetted,  slopes  gently  from  the  ground  to  the  summit,  where  the  masonry  is 
eight  feet  thick.  This  wall,  of  this  enormous  strength,  is  bound  with  the  finest  and  hardest 
cement.  The  water  is  impregnated  with  lime,  and  has  thickly  encrusted  all  the  reservoirs,  as 
well  as  formed  massive  stalagmites  both  round  the  cisterns  and  along  the  course  of  the  aqueduct. 
The  only  use  to  which  this  mighty  work  is  now  applied  is  the  turning  of  a  water-wheel  for  a 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN.  63 

corn-mill,  and  the  water  running  through  leaks  and  over  the  masonry,  is  wasted  as  it  works  its 
way  uselessly  to  the  sea.  These  springs  are  first  mentioned  in  the  records  of  ancient  Tyre  as 
having  been  cut  off  by  Shalmaneser  when  he  withdrew  from  the  siege,  which  certainly  implies 
their  importance  at  that  very  early  date.  In  the  time  of  the  Crusades  the  water  was  used 
for  the  irrigation  of  the  whole  plain,  which  was  cultivated  and  full  of  fruit-trees,  and  especially 
of  sugar-cane,  in  strange  contrast  to  its  present  half-desolate  state. 

But  what  must  this  plain  and  Old  Tyre  have  been  in  the  days  of  Israel,  when,  relying  upon 
the  impregnable  insular  fortress  and  their  fleets  which  ruled  the  sea,  the  merchant  princes  had 
their  villas  and  palaces  all  along  the  plain  for  many  miles  in  the  open  country  (for  the 
fortifications  never  extended  to  Palaeotyrus),  and  all  the  wealth  and  art  of  the  age  was  lavished 
on  the  furniture,  the  gardens  and  the  baths  of  her  "  whose  builders  had  perfected  her  beauty" 
and  "set  forth  her  comeliness."  Ebony  and  ivory,  the  gems  of  India  and  the  riches  of  the 
East,  bright  tin  from  Cornwall,  the  gold  of  Tarshish,  the  spices  of  Arabia,  the  fine  linen  and 
broidered  work  of  Egypt,  silver  and  lead,  tin  and  iron  from  afar,  coral  and  agate  from  Syria, 
rich  fabrics  from  Mesopotamia,  such  were  some  of  the  treasures  and  the  decorations  of  "the 
mother  of  commerce.  But  now  she  "  is  broken  by  the  seas  in  the  depth  of  the  waters,  and  her 
merchandise  and  all  her  company  in  the  midst  of  her  are  fallen."  Yet  it  would  be  difficult  to 
find  a  more  lovely  moonlight  walk  than  along  this  beach  from  Ras  el  'Ain  to  Tyre,  with  the 
light  beaming  far  on  the  water,  where  now  no  gallant  galley  with  oars  can  be  seen,  but  the 
ghost-like  black  columns,  gaunt  in  the  moonlight,  look  like  spectres  on  the  sea,  mourning  the 
fate  of  their  proud  city.  The  ride  to  Hiram's  Tomb  (see  page  57)  may  be  accomplished  from 
Ras  el  'Ain  as  easily  as  from  Tyre,  following  the  line  of  the  aqueduct  (see  page  60)  for  two 
miles  and  then  turning  towards  the  hills,  which  here  rise  very  gradually  from  the  plain.  Very 
near  Hiram's  Tomb,  to  the  southward,  is  the  little  village  of  Hanawieh,  surrounded  by  orchards 
and  olive  yards,  with  many  tombs  in  the  sides  of  the  hills.  In  these  tombs  have  recently 
been  discovered  many  interesting  specimens  of  Phoenician  or  at  least  pre- Roman  glass.  In  a 
sepulchre,  which  this  year  was  opened  by  a  charcoal-burner  in  digging  up  an  old  tree  root,  a 
complete  set  of  funereal  glass  was  found,  undisturbed  as  when  first  placed  in  the  newly-occupied 
tomb,  which  was  a  very  small  niche  just  large  enough  for  a  body  and  about  four  feet  high, 
hewn  at  the  foot  of  a  rock  against  which  earth  and  rubbish  had  accumulated.  At  each  of  the 
four  corners  of  the  tomb  was  a  lachrymatory,  much  larger  than  the  ordinary  or  later  Roman  ones 
and  with  a  very  long  neck.  At  the  upper  part  of  the  tomb  were  placed  two  flat  dishes,  one 
about  six  inches,  the  other  twelve  inches  in  diameter,  for  the  meat  and  bread  offerings  for  the 
dead,  and  a  glass  flask  of  antique  and  graceful  shape  for  the  wine. 

The  tombs  in  all  these  hills  may  be  counted  by  thousands,  but  they  have  been  rifled  and 
rifled  again  centuries  ago ;  many  of  them  afford  evidence  of  successive  occupation  by  the 
dead  of  epochs  distant  from  each  other.  For  instance,  to  many  of  the  old  Phoenician  tombs, 
which  may  be  recognised  at  once  by  the  style  of  their  sculpture,  there  have  been  added  Roman 
or  Greek  facades  in  various  different  styles,  and  niches  for  statues,  subsequent  to  the  original 

K  2 


64 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


RAS   EL   ABYAD   (WHITE   CAPE),   THE   LADDER   OF   TYRE, 
From  the  south  side.    The  rock-cut  undulating  road,  with  its  shallow  steps,  is  in  many  places  nearly  two  hundred  feet  above  the  sea. 


THE  PHOENICIAN  PLAIN. 


65 


construction.  Some  contain 
excavations  in  the  flooring  of 
the  cave  just  large  enough  to 
contain  a  body  and  roughly 
hewn  to  its  shape,  with  a 
groove  running  round  to  admit 
the   covering    slab.       Gn   the 

top  of  this  we  shall  find  the  rich  marble  sarcophagus  of 
a  later  date.  Examining  again,  we  shall  find  rudely 
carved  Christian  symbols,  of  the  period  of  those  of  the 
catacombs  of  Rome — the  equilateral  cross,  the  sacred 
monogram  in  a  variety  of  forms,  the  a  and  a>,  and  the  like. 
Hiram's  Tomb,  "  Kabr  Hiram,"  as  it  is  called,  by  far 
the  most  interesting  relic  of  Tyre  left  intact,  is  very 
near  the  little  village  of  Hanawieh.  It  stands  slightly 
retired  from  the  brow  of  the  uplands,  close  by  the  way- 
side, corn-fields  behind  it,  and  the  quiet  orchard  ground 
in  front.  Whether  it  be  the  tomb  of  the  great 
Phoenician  monarch  or   not    there  is    no  possibility  of 


RAS   EL  ABYAD. 
Showing  the  north  or  Tyrian  side.    The  little  tower  in 
the  distance  is  a  Turkish  guard-house  where  tolls 
are  levied,  as  it  commands  the  pass  to  and  from  Acre. 


66  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

proving.  One  argument  for  its  great  antiquity  is  its  extreme  simplicity  and  its  dissimilarity 
from  any  sepulchral  structures  of  the  Greek  age.  The  great  repertory  of  Phoenician  monu- 
ments is  on  the  wonderful  plain  of  Amrit,  in  Northern  Syria,  the  ancient  Marathus,  opposite 
the  island  of  Ruad,  or  Arvad.  There  is  not  a  solitary  inscription  among  them  all,  and  Renan 
has  demonstrated  to  the  satisfaction  of  antiquaries  that  they  are  all  long  prior  to  the  time  of 
Alexander  the  Great.  But  the  most  archaic  of  those  unique  and  massive  sepulchres  are  in 
style  and  workmanship  decidedly  later  than  Hiram's  Tomb,  and  yet  they  are  formed  on  a  similar 
model.  The  natural  inference  to  any  one  seeing  the  tombs  of  Marathus  and  this  of  Tyre  for 
the  first  time,  would  be  that  the  architects  of  the  former  were  familiar  with  such  constructions 
as  this,  but  had  no  idea  of  the  Greek  or  Syro-Greek  sepulchral  architecture. 

The  Tomb  of  Hiram,  for  so  we  love  to  believe  it  as  well  as  call  it,  is  a  grand  massive 
sarcophagus,  laid  on  a  massive  megalithic  pedestal  of  dressed  limestone,  but  without  any  trace 
of  the  Phoenician  or  Jewish  bevel,  standing  in  solitary  desolation,  commanding  the  sea  and  that 
city  of  Tyre  over  which  Hiram  ruled.  The  pedestal  is  composed  of  three  courses  of  great 
stones,  more  than  twelve  feet  by  eight,  and  six  feet  thick.  The  third  course  is  still  thicker  and 
projects  over  the  others.  On  this  is  placed  the  great  sarcophagus,  hollowed  out  for  the  body, 
and  over  it  still  remains  the  lid,  slightly  pyramidal  in  form,  a  single  block,  twelve  feet  long  by 
five  thick.  Immediately  behind  the  tomb  two  flights  of  steps  have  recently  been  opened  out, 
evidently  coeval  with  it,  and  leading  to  a  vaulted  chamber  not  under  but  exactly  behind  the 
mausoleum.  This  was  cleared  out  and  examined  by  Renan,  but  no  trace  of  inscription  or 
indication  of  its  purpose  or  date  discovered. 

From  Hiram's  Tomb  it  is  little  more  than  half  an  hour  south-east  to  the  village  of  Kanah, 
with  its  name  unchanged  since  the  days  of  Joshua,  when  it  was  a  town  of  Asher.  The  whole 
district  is  strewn  with  broken  sarcophagi,  but  there  are  some  very  interesting  Phoenician 
sculptures,  rarely  visited,  on  the  side  of  a  very  rocky  hill  overhanging  a  dell  to  the  north  of  the 
road  half-way  to  Kanah,  called  the  Wady  el  'Akkab,  or  by  others  El  Afid.  Here  have  been 
quarries  very  extensively  worked  in  ancient  times,  and  the  rock  in  many  places  has  been  cut 
down  perpendicularly.  On  many  of  these  faces  are  rude  sculptures  and  especially  many 
cartouches,  somewhat  Egyptian  in  style,  but  very  different  in  type  as  regards  the  figures  within 
the  cartouch.  On  one  face  of  rock,  besides  the  cartouches  are  nine  figures  in  a  row,  the  largest 
in  the  centre  seated,  the  others,  four  on  each  side,  about  four  feet  high,  standing.  On  another 
rock  is  a  female  draped  figure  standing,  much  more  Assyrian  than  Egyptian  in  the  style  of 
dress,  which  is  full.  All  the  figures  have  been  cut  in  the  rough  face  of  the  rocks,  which  have 
not  been  squared  or  dressed  to  receive  them. 

From  Kanah  there  is  a  lovely  ride  into  the  interior,  an  excursion  which  will  well  repay  the 
traveller  for  the  extra  day  it  will  cost,  or  he  may  traverse  the  valleys  of  Asher  and  Naphtali 
till  he  reaches  the  magnificent  mediaeval  castle  of  Tibnin.  The  route  is  up  the  Wady  'Ashur. 
It  is  a  narrow  valley  with  a  very  steep  descent,  which  winds  down  to  the  coast  in  a  serpentine, 
meandering  course.      Frequently  it  contracts  into  a  romantic  rocky  glen,  so  narrow  at  the 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN.  67 

bottom  that  it  is  difficult  for  a  horseman  to  pass  a  laden  camel  without  dismounting,  and  where 
he  may  touch  the  cliffs  on  either  side  with  his  stick.  The  sides  of  the  enclosing  hills  gently 
slope  back,  timber  being  absent,  but  its  place  taken  by  dense  brushwood,  lentisk,  myrtle,  arbutus, 
the  lovely  storax,  and  the  Judas-tree  all  in  blossom  together,  with  an  undergrowth  of  endless 
variety  of  flowers,  generally  very  different  from  those  of  Esdraelon  and  Galilee,  and  partaking 
more  of  the  character  of  the  Lebanon  flora — especially  a  number  of  ferns  of  northern  type. 

Just  at  the  mouth  of  the  valley  is  a  little  plain,  and  high  up  in  the  rocks  on  the  north  side 
of  this  opening  are  some  very  curious  sculptures.  On  the  face  of  the  cliff  is  cut  a  square  recess 
about  thirty- two  inches  square,  and  thirty  inches  deep.  It  is  set  in  a  bevelled  frame  of  five 
steps,  each  two  inches  deep,  cut  in  the  rock.  On  the  back  wall  of  the  niche  is  a  fine  piece  of 
delicate  sculpture,  rather  weathered.  There  is  a  group  of  five  figures,  the  central  one  seated 
and  two  standing  on  each  side,  apparently  offering  gifts.  Over  the  group  is  engraved  the 
Egyptian  symbol  of  eternity,  with  the  outstretched  wings,  the  disk,  serpents,  and  other  emblems. 
In  many  of  these  Phoenician  remains  we  have  the  Egyptian,  in  others  the  Assyrian  recalled, 
but  nowhere  has  yet  been  found  anything  resembling  the  Hittite  type. 

When  we  reach  the  head  of  the  Wady  'Ashur,  north  of  the  village  of  Kefra,  the  summit  of 
the  hill  affords  a  magnificent  view.  Three  thousand  feet  beneath  is  the  strip  of  the  Phoenician 
plain,  with  Tyre  conspicuous,  jutting  out  from  its  neck  of  sand  into  the  sea,  fringed  by  the 
Mediterranean.  Turning  round,  Hermon  (see  pages  96  and  137,  vol.  ii.)  and  the  craters  of 
the  Lejah  stretch  from  north  to  south,  with  the  great  castle  of  Shukif  distinct,  perched  on  its 
crag  south-west  of  Hermon.  One  bit  of  snow  behind  it  marks  the  beginning  of  the  Lebanon 
(see  page  99,  vol.  ii.),  while  on  the  top  of  an  isolated  cone  immediately  to  the  east  frowns  the 
castle  of  Tibnin,  as  though  still  impregnable,  and  giving  the  idea  of  a  stupendous  fortress, 
looking  all  the  larger  from  its  isolation. 

And  now,  having  surveyed  the  highlands,  we  will  descend  by  that  charming  glen  again  to 
Ras  el  ' Ain  (see  page  60),  and  after  a  farewell  glance  at  its  dripping  cisterns  and  fairylike 
festoons  of  maiden-hair  fern,  we  continue  along  the  shore  till  we  reach  the  bluff  headland  of 
Ras  el  Abyad,  "  White  Cape,"  which  boldly  projects  into  the  sea,  the  sharp  and  clearly  defined 
boundary  of  the  Phoenician  plain  (see  page  65).  The  chalky  headland  is  often  called  the 
Ladder  of  Tyre,  and  a  true  ladder  it  would  be  were  it  not  that  many  of  its  rungs  are  wanting, 
and  the  path,  being  worn  in  the  cliff's  side  without  the  slightest  bridge  or  fence  and  overhanging 
the  sea  two  or  three  hundred  feet  below,  is  somewhat  trying  to  novices  in  Palestine  riding. 
From  the  crest  of  the  pass  is  a  very  impressive  view  of  the  Phoenician  coast.  Desolate  as  the  plain 
is,  it  is,  at  least  in  early  summer,  green,  and  shows  well  with  its  girdle  of  sand  curving  gracefully 
as  it  recedes  and  then  runs  out  in  the  headland  of  Tyre.  Curving  again  inwards,  from  this 
point  we  can  follow  it  beyond  the  promontory  of  Surafend,  which  forms  the  head  of  the  second 
bow.  The  ridge  of  the  limestone  hills  behind  varies  in  colour,  through  blending  shades  of 
purples,  reds,  and  yellows,  closing  with  the  white  and  glittering  brow  on  which  we  stand,  while 
behind  all  tower  the  snowy  ranges  of  Jebel  Sunnin  and  Jebel  esh  Sheikh  (Hermon),  from  forty 


68 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


to  sixty  miles  distant.  From  the  Ladder  of  Tyre  is  a  very  narrow  stony  plain,  extending  in  a 
crescent  shape  for  about  six  miles  as  the  crow  flies,  but  over  eight  to  ride,  to  the  next 
headland,  Ras  en  Nakurah  (see  page  69),  beyond  which  commences  at  once  the  plain  of  Acre. 
Between  the  two  promontories,  slightly  retired  from  the  shore,  are  the  ruins  of  a  considerable 
town  without  a  history,  save  that  here  Alexander 
encamped  after  the  capture  of  Tyre,  in  honour 
of  which  a  city  was  founded,  called  Alexandro- 
schene,  still  preserving  the  name  of  Iskan- 
deruneh.     The  embayed  coast  :\  > 


is    here   fringed    by   a    rough 


MSf3 


mm 


LOOKING   TOWARDS  TYRE    FROM   NAkGrAH. 
An  old  olive-tree  in  the  foreground  and  a  Muslim  cemetery  on  the  hillside. 

stony  plain,  or  rather  a  gradual  crescent-shaped  slope,  soon  rising  into  low  hills.  One 
conspicuous  Doric  column  still  stands  erect  in  the  wilderness,  with  the  shafts  of  many  others, 
which  have  formed  a  colonnade,  strewn  around.  A  little  farther  on,  marble  fountains,  fragments 
of  tesselated  pavement,  gateways  and  architraves  may  be  seen  half  buried  in  the  thickets,  with 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN. 


69 


many  pieces  of  sculpture,  some  with  emblems  of  Ashtaroth,  or  the  moon  goddess.  No 
inscription  has  been  found  here,  nor  is  there  now  a  solitary  inhabitant  in  the  bay  till  we  reach 
Nakurah  at  the  next  pass.     The  road  or  stony  track  keeps  close  along  the  shore  and  then 


RAS    EN   NAKURAH. 
The  road  over  this  headland,  which  has  also  been  called  the  "  Ladder  of  Tyre,"  has   lately  been  greatly  improved.    South  of  it  there  is  a  spring 

called  'Ain  el  Musheirifeh. 


climbs  by  the  brow  of  the  headland  of  Ras  en  Nakurah,  the  second  Ladder  of  Tyre,  the 
southern  side  of  which  is  shown  on  this  page. 

So  soon  as  the  crest  of  the  pass  has  been  surmounted  a  fine  view  bursts  suddenly  upon  the 
traveller.     The  rear  of  the  rocky  platform  is  shut  in  by  Jebel  Mushakka,  and  in  front  is  spread 
the  whole  expanse  of  the  plain  of  Acre,  at  least  of  its  shore-line  as  far  as  Carmel.     As  the  eye 
vol.  til  1. 


7o  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

follows  the  frinsre  of  sand,  a  brown  knob  a  few  miles  off  marks  the  site  of  Zib,  the  ancient 
Achzib,  the  frontier  town  of  Asher.  Far  beyond,  another  spit  of  sand  is  crowned  by  the 
buildings  of  the  historic  Acre,  one  of  the  few  spots  in  Syria  which  has  drawn  to  its  focus  a 
concentration  of  historic  episodes,  which  link  its  name  with  almost  every  chapter  in  the  story  of 
Syria's  fortunes  for  two  thousand  years.  Beyond  it  again,  in  the  far  distance,  the  glass  reveals 
the  white  spot  in  a  crescent  of  green  which,  nestled  .under  Carmel,  marks  the  now  flourishing 
Haifa.  We  here  get  our  first  view  of  Carmel  from  the  north  (see  page  72).  While  able  to 
realise  its  full  extent,  the  effect  of  this  outline  is  rather  tame,  as  it  gradually  slopes  towards  the 
sea  ;  yet  the  length  of  the  ridge  rising  suddenly  at  this  point  of  view  from  the  plain,  and  forming 
a  barrier  across  the  horizon,  makes  it  a  conspicuous  feature.  But  the  nearer  view,  a  green 
cultivated  plain  many  miles  in  extent,  studded  with  olive  groves,  with  their  grey-blue  hue 
spangling  the  carpet,  and  each  grove  half  concealing  a  village,  affords  a  striking  contrast  to  the 
solitudes  of  the  Phoenician  coast. 

The  road  to  Acre  lies  along  the  shore,  but  there  are  too  many  objects  of  interest  to  allow 
us  to  hurry  onwards.  Zib  itself  possesses  nothing  but  its  name  to  delay  us.  It  is  simply  a 
modern  village  built  on  a  mound  of  ruins.  The  valley  of  the  little  stream,  Wady  Kilrn,  which 
is  almost  lost  in  the  sands  as  it  reaches  Zib,  where  in  ancient  days  it  may  have  formed  a  creek 
for  the  fishing  boats  of  Asher,  is  one  which  well  repays  a  few  days'  exploration.  The  stream, 
swarming  with  fish,  winds  through  a  wooded  glen  which  pushes  into  the  plain,  and  forms  one 
of  the  several  spurs  which,  running  from  the  Galilean  hills,  practically  divide  the  plain  of  Acre 
from  that  of  Esdraelon.  A  ride  of  four  and  a  half  hours  from  El  Biissah,  in  a  south-east 
direction,  brings  us  to  the  mediaeval  fortress  known  as  Kul'at  el  Kiarn,  the  mons  fortis, 
Montfort  of  the  Crusaders.  Few  travellers  have  entered  it,  but  it  is  one  of  the  finest  ruins  of 
Palestine.  It  is  the  first  of  that  great  chain  of  fortresses,  stretching  from  the  sea  to  Mount 
Hermon,  by  which  the  knights  bade  defiance  to  any  attempted  invasion  from  the  north. 
Montfort  was  the  apex  of  a  triangle  with  the  strongholds  of  Tyre  and  Acre  at  each  extremity 
of  its  base.  Thence  a  short  day's  march  east  found  the  battlements  of  Tibnin.  From  that 
citadel,  a  few  hours  distant,  the  impregnable  walls  of  Shtikif  (Belfort)  commanded  the  passage 
of  the  Litany.  South  of  Shukif  and  Tibnin,  on  the  hill  where  now  stands  the  village  of 
Kaukab  el  Hawa,  Belvoir  overlooked  the  passage  of  the  Jordan  and  the  bridge  south  of  the 
Sea  of  Galilee,  while  northwards  frowned  Hunin  (see  pages  99  and  102,  vol.  ii.),  commanding 
the  plain  of  Htileh ;  and  within  sight  of  it  again  the  mighty  fortress  of  Subeibeh  (see  pages 
116  and  117,  vol.  ii.),  overhanging  Banias,  under  Hermon,  and  guarding  the  eastern  approaches 
from  the  Hauran.  Every  one  of  these  was,  while  sufficiently  garrisoned,  impregnable  under 
the  conditions  of  mediaeval  warfare,  and  no  invader  could  dare  to  leave  them  unmasked  in 
his  rear. 

None  of  these,  though  the  most  decayed  may  compare  with  any  other  ruin  in  the  country 
(for  the  Saracens,  though  they  may  have  captured,  took  care  to  do  no  more  than  dismantle  them),. 
can  rival  Kul'at  el  Kurn  in  its  state  of  preservation.     Seven  miles  from  the  coast,  one  thousand 


THE  PHCENICIAN  PLAIN.  71 

and  fifty  feet  above  the  sea,  and  five  hundred  and  sixty  above  the  stream  at  its  foot,  a  tongue  of 
rock  stands  out  between  two  ravines  with  perpendicular  sides,  not  more  than  twenty  yards  wide 
and  two  hundred  yards  long,  and  cut  off  from  the  ridge  behind  by  a  deep  artificial  chasm. 
Where  needful  its  sides  have  been  coated  with  masonry,  each  tier  sloping  inwards,  but  the 
course  above  projecting  three  inches,  so  that  scaling  was  impracticable.  On  the  top  are  four 
successive  fortresses,  each  successively  defencible,  and  under  each  enormous  cisterns,  securing 
an  independent  supply  of  water.  From  the  masonry  of  the  lower  structures  it  would  seem 
that  the  fortress  was  originally  Phoenician,  that  it  was  afterwards  enlarged,  and,  perhaps, 
rebuilt  by  the  Syrian  Greeks  or  the  Romans,  and  finally  strengthened  as  we  now  see  it  by  the 
Christian  knights.  It  is,  indeed,  one  of  the  most  interesting  relics  of  the  long  and  hardly  won, 
and  still  more  hardly  kept,  dominion  of  our  Norman  ancestors.  Yet  all  that  history  tells  us 
of  it  is,  that  it  was  built  by  Hermann,  grand  master  of  the  Teutonic  knights,  in  a.d.  1229,  and 
captured  by  Sultan  Bibars  in  a.d.  1291.  The  knights,  however,  did  little  more  than  restore 
and  strengthen  fortifications  of  far  earlier  conquerors,  as  Phoenician,  Greek  or  Maccabsean,  and 
late  Roman  work,  can  be  successively  traced  below  the  mediaeval  structures. 

From  Kul'at  el  Kurn  the  road  to  Acre  passes  through  a  partially  wooded  undulating  plain 
for  about  four  hours,  till  the  maritime  plain,  drained  by  the  classic  river  Belus  (see  page  72), 
now  the  Nahr  Na'man,  is  reached.  The  spurs  of  the  Galilean  lower  hills  run  far  down  and 
form  a  low  barrier  between  the  plain  of  Acre  and  the  plain  of  Esdraelon.  From  these  spurs 
are  fed  the  springs  which  supplied  the  aqueduct  on  the  north.  From  the  south-east  the  Belus 
(see  page  72)  works  its  way  through  its  marshy  bed,  the  sand  almost  absorbing  it  as  it  nears 
the  shore. 

The  whole  of  this  plain  of  Acre  is  studded,  especially  at  the  foot  of  the  surrounding  hills, 
with  mud-built  villages,  many  of  them  inheriting  ancient  names,  but  none  bearing  any  other 
signs  of  antiquity.  Thus  we  find  to  the  south-east  of  Acre,  Kabul,  the  Cabul  of  Joshua  and 
Kings,  and  north  of  it  Amkah,  the  old  Beth-emek ;  Semiriyeh,  anciently  Sherivron-meron ; 
Abdeh,  or  Abdon  ;  Jefat,  the  Jotopata  of  Josephus  ;  and  many  others.  The  fame  of  the  river 
Belus  arises  from  the  Greek  tradition,  that  the  invention  of  glass  manufacture  was  due  in  the 
first  instance  to  the  accidental  discovery  on  its  banks  of  a  vitreous  mass  produced  by  a  fire  of 
seaweed  among  the  flints  and  sand,  which  some  sailors  had  lighted  when  camping  here.  There 
are  no  traces  of  glass  works  to  be  seen,  but  we  know  that  the  Tyrians  were  the  first 
manufacturers,  and  the  tradition  may  very  probably  be  true. 

From  the  springs  of  the  Nahr  Na'man  is  an  interesting  ride  up  a  gentle  wooded  slope  to 
Shefa  '  Amr,  one  of  the  principal  villages  of  the  district.  We  know  nothing  of  its  biblical  name 
or  history.  It  first  came  into  notice  in  the  time  of  the  Crusades,  and  was  the  head-quarters  of 
Saladin  when  endeavouring  to  raise  the  siege  of  Acre.  On  the  crest  of  the  hill  are  the  ruins  of 
an  extensive  mediaeval  castle,  apparently  of  Saracenic  construction.  Nothing  of  interest  beyond 
its  massive  walls  remains.  There  is  a  very  fine  view  of  Acre,  Haifa,  and  the  plain  from  this 
castle.     Not  a  mile  to  the  south,  on  the  opposite  hill,  is  another  smaller  ruined  castle,  El  Burj. 

l  2 


-2  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Shefa  'Amr,  which  is  chiefly  Christian,  also  possesses  a  church  and  schools  of  the  Church 
Missionary  Society. 

From  Shefa  'Amr  is  a  beautiful  ride  through  wooded  glens— almost  the  only  park-like 
scenery  with  fine  timber  left  on  the  west  side  of  Jordan,  but,  alas  !  rapidly  perishing  under  the 


THE  CITY   OF  ACRE   (AKKA)    FROM   THE   NORTH-EAST. 
Mount  Carmel  is  seen  in  the  distance,  beyond  the  bay.     Muslim  cemetery  and  aqueduct  in  the  foreground. 

axe  of  the  charcoal-burner — till  we  reach  the  large  village  of  Sefuriyeh,  the  ancient  Sepphoris, 
Diocaesarea  of  the  Romans,  Kitron  of  Joshua,  eight  miles  to  the  south-east,  girt  with  olive 
groves.  Here  are  ruins  reminding  us  of  the  part  that  Sepphoris  played  in  the  history  of  the 
Herods  and  of  the  Crusades.     The  central  apse  of  the  Crusaders'  church  still  exists,  and  above 


THE   CITY   OF    ACRE   FROM   THE   SOUTH. 
The  mouth  of  the  Nahr  Na'man,  the  ancient  river  Belus,  in  the  foreground,  where,  tradition  says,  glass  was  first  produced  by  an  accidental 

combination  of  the  necessary  materials. 


it  on  the  hill  is  the  castle ;  the  lower  portion  of  the  work  of  the  Herods,  or  even  earlier,  but  the 
gateway  and  pointed  arches  above  of  the  Crusading  period  (see  page  48,  vol.  ii.).  The  place 
which  once  boasted  a  Roman  mint  is  now  a  squalid  Muslim  village. 

From  Sefuriyeh  good  horse-paths  lead  both  to  Nazareth  and  to  the  coast. 


GATE   OF   'AKKA    (ST.   JEAN    D'ACRE). 
It  is  the  only  entrance  to  the  city,  and  is  situated  near  the  south  end  of  the  eastern  land  wall,  close  to  the  head  of  the  shallow  harbour. 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE. 


^7  ROM  every  point  of  view  the  external  appearance  of  'Akka  (Acre)  is  pre-eminently 
■*-        picturesque,  and  especially  so  from  the   deck  of  a  yacht  or  steamer  approaching  the 
shore  on  a  calm  bright  moonlight  night,  or,  as  an  Arab  would  say,  "  when  God's  lantern  is  in 
the  sky." 

The  bold  western  front  of  the  city  appears  suddenly  to  rise  up  before  us  out  of  the  sea, 
with  its  loopholed  battlemented  walls,  its  square  towers,  and  its  serviceable  lighthouse  at  its 
southern  extremity.  In  the  northern  division  of  the  city,  the  lofty  and  curiously  buttressed 
dome  of  the  great  mosque  of  Jezzar  Pasha  vividly  reflects  the  moonlight  (see  page  76),  and 
near  to  it  the  formidable-looking  citadel  is  conspicuous.  No  city  in  Syria  or  Palestine  so 
completely  carries  one  back  in  fancy  to  Crusading  and  feudal  times  as  does  this  city  of  'Akka, 
especially  when  thus  beheld  from  the  sea ;  if  the  tall  minaret  of  the  great  mosque  were  not 


74  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

there  to  remind  us  of  the  local  supremacy  of  the  followers  of  the  prophet  Muhammed,  we 
mio-ht  easily  imagine  ourselves  to  be  steering  towards  a  stronghold  still  occupied  by  Crusading 
kings  and  by  those  Knights  of  St.  John  to  whom  the  place  owes  its  familiar  European  name 
of  St  Jean  d'Acre.  We  glide  round  the  formidable-looking  redoubt  at  the  southern  point  of 
the  promontory  or  rocky  reef  on  which  the  city  is  built,  and  are  soon  safely  anchored  in  the 
bay  south  of  the  shallow  harbour  (see  page  72). 

The  broad  plain  of '  Akka  (see  page  80)  is  flooded  with  white  mist  which  quivers  in  the 
moonlight,  and  makes  the  undulating  hills  of  Galilee  far  away  in  the  east,  and  the  level 
range  of  Carmel  in  the  south,  look  strangely  unsubstantial  and  foundationless.  But  morning 
dawns  and  the  mists  are  cleared  away,  and  our  illusions  are  to  a  great  extent  dispelled  by  a 
nearer  approach  to  the  city. 

The  distinctive  feature  of  'Akka  is  its  complete  isolation.  There  are  people  still  living 
who  remember  when  (during  the  peaceful  rule  of  Suleiman,  who  became  pasha  of  'Akka  a 
few  years  after  the  death  of  the  tyrant  Jezzar  Pasha,  in  1804)  the  plain  north  of  the  city  was 
planted  with  pines  and  firs  and  groves  of  the  rapidly  growing  Melia  Asederach,  commonly 
called  the  "  Pride  of  India,"  a  favourite  tree  for  plantations  in  Syria  and  Palestine,  with  tender 
green  foliage  and  pendent  lilac  blossoms,  which  are  succeeded  by  clusters  of  yellow  berries. 
But  all  the  trees  within  a  mile  and  a  quarter  of  the  city  were  cut  down  by  order  of  Abdallah 
Pasha  (the  successor  of  Suleiman  as  governor  of  'Akka,  in  1820),  lest  they  should  serve  as 
places  of  ambush  for  an  enemy.  The  cleared  space  is  now  occupied  by  cotton-fields,  melon 
grounds,  and  vegetable  gardens,  skirted  by  the  aqueduct  from  El  Kabry,  while  near  to  the 
seashore  there  is  a  strip  of  fever-producing  marsh-land.  But  there  is  nothing  to  intercept 
the  view  of  the  city  (see  page  72). 

Nearly  all  other  important  walled  towns  of  Syria  and  Palestine  are  by  degrees  over- 
leaping their  boundaries  and  losing  their  original  characteristics.  The  walls  of  Beirut  (see 
page  28)  have  altogether  disappeared  except  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  city.  This  is  the 
natural  result  of  peace  and  prosperity.  Even  the  city  of  Jerusalem  is  rapidly  extending 
beyond  its  walls,  but  happily  only  on  the  northern  and  western  sides  (see  steel  plate  facing 
page  4,  vol.  i.).  Colonel  Sir  Charles  Wilson  thus  describes  the  impression  made  upon  him  by 
his  recent  visit  to  that  city.  "  The  approach  to  Jerusalem  was  to  me  a  painful  one.  When 
I  left  in  1866,  the  only  buildings  outside  the  town  were  the  Russian  convent  and  two  or  three 
small  houses ;  now  new  Jerusalem  is  almost  as  large  as  the  old  one.  I  had  always  liked  to 
think  of  Jerusalem  as  the  walled  city,  with  its  gates  closed  at  nightfall,  surrounded  by  olive 
gardens,  which  I  had  learned  to  know  so  well  during  the  Survey,  and  it  was  anything  but 
pleasant  to  ride  over  the  hard  metalled  road  through  a  long  suburb,  such  as  one  sees  round  a 
third-class  Italian  town." 

This  refers  to  the  approach  to  Jerusalem  from  the  north-west  by  the  carriage  road  from 
Jaffa. 

There  is  no  prospect  of  any  such  innovations  at  'Akka.     The  city  is  of  irregular  form, 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE. 


75 


RUINS  OF  AN  AQUEDUCT  EAST  OF  'AKKA. 

The  position  of  the  stork  is  quite  characteristic,  as  storks  instinctively  take  possession  of  lofty  deserted 
structures,  where  they  may  build  their  huge  nests  in  safety. 


and  contains  an  area  of  fifty  acres.  Its  western  sea  front  is  its  longest 
facade  in  a  direct  line,  and  leads  one  to  expect  to  find  the  city  very 
much  larger  than  it  really  is.  On  the  land  side,  facing  the  north  and 
east,  there  is  a  double  line  of  fortifications  and  a  deep  fosse  (see  page 
76).  The  outer  line  was  commenced  by  Jezzar  Pasha  in  1799,  imme- 
diately after  the  retreat  of  Napoleon  I.,  who  had  for  sixty  days  besieged 
the  city  in  vain,  notwithstanding  his  eight  deadly  assaults  on  it.  Napoleon's  transport  ships, 
which  were   to   have  landed   his  heavy  ordnance   and    stores  at  Haifa  (see  page  83),  were 


76 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


cleverly  intercepted  and 
captured  by  Admiral  Sir 
Sydney  Smith,  and  used 
in     defence     of     'Akka. 
Jezzar    Pasha's   outwork, 
which  was  completed  and 
extended    by  the  above- 
mentioned    Abdallah 
Pasha   in    1820,    is    four 
hundred  feet  in  advance 
of  the  inner  line  of  forti- 
fication, which  was   con- 
structed by  the  celebrated 
Sheikh  Dhaher-el-'Amer, 
who,  having  made  himself 
master  of  Central  Pales- 
tine, chose  this  city  as  his 
place  of  residence  in  the 
year  1749.      It  is  conjec- 
tured that  these  two  lines 
of    fortification    coincide 
with   those   of  the  Cru- 
saders (see  engraving). 

The  sea-wall  along 
the  south  front  of  the  city 
is  of  great  strength  ;  it  is 
built  of  very  large  stones 
with  marginal  drafts  and 
rustic  bosses,  characteris- 
tic of  the  work  of  the 
Crusaders.  The  harbour 
is  formed  by  the  curve  of 
the  narrowing  reef  on 
which  the  city  is  built 
towards  the  south-west, 
corresponding  with  the 
curve  of  the  opposite 
shore  to  the  south-east. 
There  are  the  remains  of 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE.  77 

an  ancient  mole,  visible  under  water,  running  eastwards  from  the  south-east  point  of  the  reef, 
but  within  this  line  the  average  depth  of  the  harbour  is  now  only  three  feet.  This  partly  arises 
from  recent  silting,  but  chiefly  from  having  been  purposely  filled  up  early  in  the  seventeenth 


ABLUTIONS   AFTER  A    MID-DAY   MEAL. 

Of  all  the  people  of  the  East  it  may  be  said,  "  except  they  wash  their  hands  diligently,  eat  not,"  and  after  a  meal  it  is  urgently  necessary  when 

fingers  have  been  used  instead  of  forks. 


century  by  the  renowned  rebel  Druse  chieftain,  the  Emir  Fakr-ed-Din,  who  held  supreme  sway 
over  Syria  and  Palestine  from  the  year  1595  to  1634.  He,  however,  greatly  strengthened 
the  city  and  revived  its  commerce  ;  he  also  built  the  large  and  convenient  khan  near  the  south- 

VOL.  III.  M 


78  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

eastern  end  of  the  reef,  called  (in  memory  of  its  occupation  by  European  merchants  and  factors) 
the  Khan  of  the  Franks.  In  a  corner  of  this  khan  there  is  a  Franciscan  monastery,  famous 
for  its  lofty-terraced  roof.  The  port  of ' Akka  extends  one  thousand  feet  from  north  to  south, 
and  seven  hundred  feet  from  east  to  west,  but  it  affords  no  protection  in  stormy  weather,  and 
ships  then  seek  refuge  at  the  opposite  side  of  the  bay  in  the  sheltered  haven  of  Haifa  (see 
page  S$),  which  is  formed  by  a  deep  curve  of  the  shore  at  the  foot  of  the  headland  of  Carmel 
(see  page  88). 

It  was  at  Haifa  that  Ibrahim  Pasha,  stepson  of  Muhammed  Ali,  Viceroy  of  Egypt,  and 
commander  of  the  Egyptian  army,  caused  his  artillery  and  stores  to  be  landed  preparatory 
to  his  investment  of 'Akka  in  November,  183 1.  His  cavalry  and  the  bulk  of  his  infantry 
marched  through  the  desert  from  Egypt,  entered  Palestine  at  El  Artsh,  and  without  opposi- 
tion took  possession  of  Gaza  and  Jaffa  (see  page  129).  At  the  latter  place  Ibrahim  arrived 
simultaneously  from  Alexandria,  with  a  large  fleet  carrying  siege  material  and  the  remainder 
of  the  troops.  He  landed  at  Jaffa  with  his  staff  and  marched  northwards  up  the  coast,  at  the 
head  of  his  army  of  between  thirty  and  forty  thousand  men,  and,  rounding  the  promontory 
of  Carmel,  approached  Haifa.  To  the  great  terror  of  the  townspeople,  the  fleet  at  the  same 
time  steered  towards  the  shore  and  safely  landed  the  siege  material.  Ibrahim  thence 
marched  onwards  to  'Akka,  skirting  the  bay  (see  page  80),  while  his  squadron  proceeded  to 
attack  the  city  by  sea,  thus  enabling  the  land  forces  to  take  up  their  position  before  it,  under 
great  advantages,  on  November  27th,  183 1. 

The  siege  was  not,  at  the  onset,  scientifically  conducted.  For  more  than  five  months  a 
furious  and  reckless  bombardment  was  kept  up,  during  which  time  thirty-five  thousand  shells 
were  thrown  into  the  heart  of  the  city,  causing  terrible  destruction  to  life  and  private  property, 
while  comparatively  little  damage  was  done  to  the  walls  and  ramparts.  A  breach  which  had 
been  made  in  February,  and  assaulted  twice  unsuccessfully,  had  been  successfully  repaired. 
Muhammed  Ali,  impatient  of  delay  and  of  the  waste  of  ammunition  without  any  results,  sent 
Roset,  a  Neapolitan  engineer  of  great  experience,  to  'Akka  to  organize  the  siege,  and  fifteen 
days  after  his  arrival,  the  place,  though  defended  with  great  vigour  and  bravery  by  Abdallah 
Pasha,  was  taken  by  storm.  The  final  assault  was  made  on  May  27th,  1832,  soon  after 
daybreak.  The  conflict  continued  through  all  the  heat  of  the  day,  and  it  was  not  until  late 
in  the  afternoon,  when  hundreds  of  men  had  been  killed  in  the  breach,  that  the  city  surrendered 
— exactly  six  months  after  the  commencement  of  the  siege.  The  place  was  given  up  to 
pillage,  and  terrible  scenes  ensued. 

The  whole  country  soon  became  subject  to  Muhammed  Ali,  and  'Akka  speedily  rose  out 
of  its  ruins,  but  as  an  Egyptian  fortress.  The  public  buildings  were  restored,  streets  and 
bazaars  rebuilt,  a  military  hospital  erected  on  the  site  of  the  Hospice  of  the  Knights  of 
St.  John,  and  the  fortifications  strengthened  until  they  were  deemed  almost  impregnable. 
In  the  meantime  all  citizens  who  had  survived  the  siege  or  who  had  taken  refuge  in  distant 
towns  were  encouraged  to  re-establish  themselves  in  'Akka,  and  a  great  impetus  was  given  to 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE.  79 

trade  and  commerce.  The  city  was  occupied  by  the  elite  of  the  Egyptian  army  under  Colonel 
Seve  (a  former  aide-de-camp  to  Marshal  Ney),  and  was  kept  constantly  stored  with  five  years' 
provisions  and  abundant  ammunition.  Ibrahim  Pasha  caused  the  long  western  sea-wall  to 
be  almost  entirely  reconstructed,  with  stones  carried  away  from  the  fortress  of  'Athlit  (see 
page  ioo).  The  scarps  of  this  wall  are  from  thirty  to  forty  feet  in  height;  in  its  centre  stands 
the  Burj  el  Hadid  (the  Iron  Tower) ;  at  the  northern  end  there  is  another  important  tower 
called  Burj  el  Kerim,  while  Burj  Sanjak  (the  Flag  Tower),  also  built  by  Ibrahim  with  stones 
from  'Athlit,  protects  the  southern  extremity. 

But  as  soon  as  the  city  had  to  all  outward  appearance  recovered  from  the  terrible  effects 
of  the  siege  of  the  year  1832,  it  had  to  undergo  another  bombardment.  The  fleets  of 
England,  Austria,  and  Turkey  united  to  expel  the  Egyptian  invaders  from  Syria  and 
Palestine,  just  when  the  people  in  the  district  of  'Akka  were  becoming  somewhat  reconciled 
to  the  rigorous  rule  of  Ibrahim  Pasha.  But  the  siege  on  this  occasion,  though  most  disastrous, 
was  of  very  short  duration.  The  British  fleet  appeared  off  'Akka  on  the  3rd  of  November, 
1840,  and  the  Egyptian  colours  were  immediately  hoisted  at  the  Citadel  and  the  Flag  Tower, 
in  defiance.  Admiral  Stopford  directed  the  operations  of  the  squadron  from  a  steamboat. 
Commodore  Napier,  commanding  the  northern,  and  Captain  Collier  the  southern  division,  led 
their  ships  close  up  to  the  fortress,  and  took  up  their  positions  at  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
under  a  tremendous  fire  from  the  batteries.  But  the  Egyptian  artillery  officers  had  not 
anticipated  that  the  fleet  would  venture  so  near  to  the  ramparts,  and  they  fired  very  much  too 
high.  The  result  was  that  while  the  ships  poured  in  their  broadsides  in  a  terrific  manner,  and 
with  great  effect,  the  balls  from  the  fortress  flew  over  their  hulls  almost  harmlessly.  There 
was  an  uninterrupted  roar  of  guns  and  the  atmosphere  was  darkened  with  smoke.  At  about 
four  o'clock  a  terrible  explosion  took  place  within  the  fortifications  on  the  land  side.  The 
whole  of  the  arsenal  and  one  of  the  principal  magazines,  containing  five  hundred  barrels  of 
powder,  were  blown  up,  and  two  entire  regiments  (consisting  of  at  least  sixteen  hundred  men), 
who  were  formed  in  position  on  the  ramparts  above  it,  were  at  once  annihilated.  An  unknown 
number  of  women  and  children  and  animals  perished  at  the  same  time.  Everything  within 
an  area  of  sixty  thousand  square  yards  was  destroyed,  and  masses  of  solid  buildings,  blown  to  a 
great  height  in  the  air,  descended  in  a  shower  of  fragments,  greatly  damaging  the  fortifications 
on  the  land  side.  This  accident  naturally  hastened  the  conclusion  of  the  contest.  At  sunset 
the  firing  ceased  from  the  ships  and  from  the  batteries;  the  fleet  then  retired  into  deep 
water.  Soon  after  midnight  a  boat  put  off  from  the  shore  conveying  to  the  fleet  the 
startling  intelligence  that  the  Egyptian  troops  were  hastily  quitting  'Akka.  An  armed  force 
immediately  landed  and  took  possession  of  the  city  without  opposition,  and  thus  it  became 
once  more  a  Turkish  fortress.  Daylight  disclosed  a  terrible  state  of  devastation — scarcely 
a  dwelling-house  in  the  city  had  escaped  injury.  Ordnance  stores,  however,  of  every 
description,  and  in  extraordinary  abundance,  were  found  in  excellent  order ;  no  fortress  at  that 
period  could  have  been  better  provided  with  munitions  of  war ;  but  the  destruction  of  life  had 

M    2 


8o 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


been  so  great  in  a  few  hours  that  this  was  of  no  avail  to  the  besieged.  The  scene  of  the 
explosion  of  the  magazine  and  arsenal  is  said  to  have  resembled  the  crater  of  a  volcano ;  it 
was  a  vast  hollow,  a  mile  in  circumference,  lined  with  smouldering  debris  and  surrounded  to 
a  great  distance   with   dead    bodies.      Unhappily,   there   was   another   explosion   two   days 


THE   PLAIN   OF   'AKKA   FROM    THE    SLOPES 
OF  CARMEL. 

Showing  the  grove  of  palm-trees  which  extends  from 
Haifa  nearly  as  far  as  the  mouth  of  the  river 
Kishon. 

afterwards  near  to  this  spot ;  five  case- 
ments filled  with  ammunition  blew  up 
in   rapid  succession,   and  an  unknown   number  of  people  were 
killed,  including  many  women  who  were  seeking  for  the  bodies 
of  their  husbands  among  the  ruins. 

There  was  great  difficulty  at  first  in  restoring  order  in  the 
city,  owing  to  the  propensity  to  plunder  and  the  confusion  of 
languages.  But  authority  finally  prevailed,  and  under  the 
energetic  direction  of  British  and  Turkish  officers  the  work  of  reparation  commenced,  and  by 
degrees  'Akka  once  more  rose  out  of  its  ruins.  When  Muhammed  Ali  heard  of  the  loss  of 
'Akka  he  sent  instructions  to  Ibrahim  Pasha  to  evacuate  the  whole  of  Syria  and  Palestine 
immediately ;  these  provinces  were  accordingly  restored  to  the  Turkish  Empire. 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE. 


81 


The  only  land  entrance  to  'Akka  is  at  Burj    Kepi  (the  Gate  Tower),  near  the  southern 
extremity  of   the   short  eastern  land-wall,  which 
meets  the  sea-wall  nearly  at  right  angles  at  the 
head  of  the  harbour.     There  is  a  good  representa- 
tion of  this  gate  on  page  73.     It  will  be  seen  that 
the  place  of  entrance,  within  an  arch  of  horseshoe 
form,  is  on  the  south  side  of  the  tower,  and  after 
passing  through  it,  it  is  necessary 
to  turn   to  the  left,  that  is  west- 
ward, to  enter  the  city.     This  is 
characteristic  of  entrances  to  walled 
towns  in  the  East,  they  being  very 
rarely   direct.      (For    an   interior 
view    of    a   gate    of   similar   con- 
struction see  page  1,  vol.  i.) 

Towards  the  gate  of  'Akka 
many  roads  converge ;  not  roads  on 
which  carriages  can  travel,  but  not 
very  bad  roads  for  horses,  mules, 
donkeys,  and  camels,  except  in  the 


A   WELL   IN   A   GARDEN   OF   HAIFA. 
Showing  a  machine,  called  a  sakiyeh,  raising  water  to  fill  the  adjacent  tank,  on  the  right. 


82  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

rainy  seasons.  There  are  the  old  coast  roads  from  the  north  and  south,  the  much-frequented 
road  from  Jenin  via  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  (see  page  20,  vol.  ii.),  the  roads  from  Safed  (page  90, 
vol.  ii.)  and  Sefuriyeh  (page  48,  vol.  ii.),  but  the  road  from  the  great,  treeless,  corn-producing  plain 
of  the  Hauran,  the  chief  granary  of  the  whole  country,  is  by  far  the  most  important.  Wheat 
in  that  highly-favoured  region  yields  eightyfold,  and  barley  a  hundredfold  (see  Matthew  xiii.  8). 
Its  semi-transparent  "hard  wheat"  is  very  highly  valued  and  largely  exported  ;  and  during  the 
season  thousands  of  camel-loads  of  this  grain  arrive  at  'Akka.  The  road  which  unites  the 
Hauran  with  this  city,  its  natural  seaport,  must  have  been  much  used,  if  not  made,  by  the 
Romans.  It  passes  through  southern  Jaulan,  the  ancient  Gaulanitis,  crosses  the  Jordan  south 
of  the  Sea  of  Galilee,  and  after  being  joined  by  an  old  road  from  Tiberias  (see  page  65, 
vol.  ii.),  takes  an  almost  direct  course  to  'Akka.  At  other  seasons  this  road  is  traversed 
occasionally  by  camels  laden  with  millstones  made  of  basalt,  which  abounds  in  the  Lejah 
(Trachonitis),  a  rocky  region  of  the  Hauran,  of  volcanic  origin,  situated  to  the  east  of  Jaulan 
(Gaulanitis,  see  page  102,  vol.  ii.)  and  north-east  of  the  great  corn-plain  above  mentioned, 
which  owes  its  extraordinary  fertility  to  the  fact  that  its  soil  is  composed  of  basaltic  trap  in  a 
state  of  disintegration. 

In  forming  millstones,  especially  of  this  extremely  hard  material,  considerable  skill  is 
required.  The  stones  for  hand-mills  are  usually  from  eighteen  to  twenty-four  inches  in 
diameter,  but  larger  ones  are  made  to  be  worked  by  wind  or  water  power  (see  page  8). 
The  upper  surface  of  the  nether  millstone  is  slightly  convex,  and  fits  into  a  corresponding 
concavity  in  the  upper  millstone,  which  is  called  in  Arabic  rdkib,  v_~fl,  "  the  rider," 
corresponding  with  the  Hebrew  rekeb,  S^t,  "chariot."  They  are  each  pierced  through 
the  centre,  and  in  the  hole  of  the  lower  stone  a  strong  pivot  is  fixed,  on  which  the  upper 
millstone  "  rides."  When  two  women  are  "  grinding  together  at  a  mill "  they  sit  opposite 
to  each  other,  grasping  the  upright  handle  fixed  near  to  the  edge  of  the  upper  stone,  and 
moving  it  together  steadily  in  a  circle,  so  as  to  cause  the  "  rider "  to  rotate  regularly.  The 
woman  whose  right  hand  is  disengaged  throws  the  grain  into  the  cup-like  aperture  in  the 
centre  as  required  (see  page  127,  vol.  i.).  The  mill  is  sometimes  fixed  in  a  kind  of  cement 
which  rises  round  it  in  the  form  of  a  shallow  bowl,  and  receives  the  meal  as  it  falls  from 
between  the  stones.  The  "  nether  millstone,"  to  which  the  heart  of  "  leviathan  "  is  compared 
in  Job  xli.  24,  is  frequently  formed  of  a  denser  kind  of  stone  than  the  upper  one.  The  basaltic 
district  of  the  Hauran  furnishes  stones  of  every  degree  of  density,  but  all  of  extreme 
hardness,  and  mills  made  from  them  are  so  much  in  demand  on  account  of  their  great 
durability,  that  notwithstanding  the  expense  of  transport  (a  pair  of  ordinary  millstones  being  a 
load  for  a  camel),  they  are  sent  in  great  numbers  to  'Akka,  and  thence  widely  distributed  by 
land  and  by  sea. 

Comparatively  few  camels  are  possessed  by  the  peasantry  of  Palestine.  "At  harvest 
times  and  for  special  services  they  are  hired  of  the  Bedawin  who  frequent  the  regions  east 
of  the  Jordan,  and  whose    chief  wealth  consists  of  herds  of  camels,  which   are   absolutely 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE. 


83 


necessary  to  the  existence  of  nomadic  tribes.  Camels  which  are  used  for  bearing  burdens  are 
called  jemel  (see  page  189,  vol.  L),  and  those  which  are  bred  and  trained  for  riding  dhelul 
(see  page  159,  vol.  i.) ;  the  difference  between  them  is  as  great  as  that  between  a  race-horse 
and  a  cart-horse. 

At  certain  times,  for  a  few  days  in  succession,  strings  of  camels  approach  'Akka,  carrying 
baskets  of  rice  from  the  valley  of  the  Jordan.  From  nearer  districts  baggage  mules  bring 
bales  of  cotton,  sacks  of  olives,  and  jars  of  oil,  or  packages  of  scammony  and  madder  {alizari), 
all  in  due  season ;  but  every  day,  early  in  the  morning,  troops  of  donkeys  and  peasants  arrive 
from  the  neighbouring  gardens  and  villages  with  fruit  and  vegetables,  eggs  and  milk,  while 
fishermen  land  their  spoils  from  the  sea ;  and  in  fine  weather,  during  the  busy  season,  the  scene 


THE   BAY   OF   'AKKA   FROM   THE   SLOPES   OF  CARMEL. 

With  the  ruined  castle  of  Haifa  in  the  foreground  and  a  glimpse  of  the  town  of  Haifa  at  the  foot  of  the  castle-hill ;  in  the  distance  the  city  of 

'Akka  is  clearly  shown. 

is  further  enlivened   by  little  boats  hurrying  to  and  fro  with  merchandise  or  provisions  for 
ships  in  the  offing. 

Al  Hariri  (1052 — 1123),  the  most  famous  Arabic  poet  of  the  Muhammedan  era,  who 
flourished  during  the  First  Crusade,  wrote,  in  the  last  of  his  Assemblies  (Makamat),  words 
in  praise  of  a  seaport  town  which  are  perfectly  applicable  to  'Akka  : — 

"This  is  the  pleasant  place  of  meeting,  the  meeting-place  of  the  ship  and  the  camel,  where  lizards  may  watch  the  leaping  sea-fish,  where 
the  camel-driver  communes  with  the  sailor,  and  the  fisherman  astonishes  the  tiller  of  the  soil  with  stories  of  the  sea." 

'Akka  contains,  according  to  a  recent  estimate,  about  nine  thousand  inhabitants,  of  whom 
seven  thousand  five  hundred  are  Muhammedans,  including  the  garrison  of  Turkish  soldiers ; 
the  rest,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  Jews  and  Protestants,  belong,  really  or  nominally,  to  the 


84 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


Its  terraced  roof  commands  extensive  views  along  the  coast,  north  and 
south.  The  building  on  the  left  is  used  for  the  accommodation  of 
native  pilgrims,  and  is  surmounted  by  a  lighthouse  four  hundred 
and  seventy  feet  above  the  sea. 


Latin,  the  Greek,  and  the  Greek  Catholic 
Churches.  Of  these  the  Greek  Catholics,  who 
are  also  called  Melchites,  and  are  affiliated  to 
the  Latin  Church,  form  by  far  the  largest  com- 
munity. During  a  residence  of  several  years 
at  Haifa,  with  my  brother  Mr.  E.  T.  Rogers, 
when  he  was  H.B.M.  Vice-Consul  there,  I 
had  frequent  opportunities  of  visiting  'Akka. 
We  could  row  across  the  bay  in  an  English 
boat  in  an  hour  and  a  quarter,  or  gallop  along 
its  sandy  shore  in  two  hours  and  a  half  (see 
page  83).     There  were  always  kindly  greetings 


for  us  in  Turkish,   Arabic,  Greek,   Italian,   French,  or  English  (somewhat  broken  English, 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE. 


85 


THE  GROTTO  KNOWN  AS  "THE  SCHOOL  OF 
THE  PROPHETS," 

To  which  pilgrimages  are  made  by  Muhammedans,  in 
honour  of  Elijah.  The  house  on  the  left  is  modern, 
but  occupies  the  site  of  an  ancient  chapel.  It  is 
opposite  the  entrance  to  the  cave. 


but  none  the  less  pleasant  to  hear)  as  we 
crossed  the  open  space  within  the  gate 
of '  Akka,  where  there  is  generally  a  little 
crowd  assembled  during  the  business  hours  of  the  day. 
Close   by  is   the  great  corn   market,  sometimes  almost 
blocked  up  with  its  heaps  of  golden  grain,  its  busy  buyers 
vol.  in.       .  N 


86  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

and  sellers,  and  heavily  laden  porters.  Beyond  are  the  bazaars.  The  principal  one  is  well- 
built  and  substantially  roofed,  and  largely  supplied  with  silks  from  the  looms  of  Aleppo  and 
Damascus,  Manchester  cottons  printed  and  plain,  glass,  cutlery,  and  crockery  ware  from 
Marseilles  and  Trieste,  and  jewellery  from  Constantinople.  The  smaller  bazaars  for  provisions 
and  more  homely  merchandise  are  sheltered  with  planks  and  mats  or  carpets.  A  very 
excellent  kind  of  fine  matting  is  made  here,  to  measure,  for  covering  floors  of  stone  or  cement. 
There  are  many  well-built  and  commodious  private  houses  in  'Akka,  some  of  which  (chiefly 
those  occupied  by  foreigners  and  native  Christians)  are  furnished  in  semi- European  style, 
where  Eastern  and  Western  customs  are  agreeably  blended.  Especially  to  be  remembered 
is  the  home  of  Mr.  Girgius  Giammal,  with  its  cheerful-looking  many-windowed  saloon  over- 
looking the  sea,  in  which  I  have  often  been  kindly  welcomed. 

In  the  Muhammedan  establishments  there  are,  as  a  rule,  very  few  Western  innovations. 
The  illustration  on  page  77  gives,  a  good  idea  of  the  general  appearance  of  a  thoroughly 
Oriental  reception-room  in  an  ordinary  house.  The  bare  walls  and  the  small  barred  windows 
are  especially  characteristic.  The  broad  cushioned  divan,  which  occupies  three  sides  of  the 
apartment,  serves  as  a  sleeping  place  by  night,  the  necessary  mattresses  and  quilted  coverlets 
being  kept  in  readiness,  in  a  deep  recess  concealed  by  a  curtain  or  in  a  closet,  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  room  ;  for  in  a  genuine  Eastern  home  there  are  no  chambers  set  apart  as 
bedrooms,  the  roof  or  any  apartment  may  be  used  as  a  sleeping  place  as  occasion  requires, 
and  every  bed  is  portable  (Mark  ii.  n);  thus  a  great  number  of  guests  may  easily  be  enter- 
tained at  the  same  time. 

In  the  centre  of  the  room  dinner  and  supper  are  served ;  the  latter  is  taken  at  sunset, 
and  is  the  chief  meal  of  the  day.  A  round  tray  of  tinned  copper  or  of  brass,  two  or  three 
feet  in  diameter,  and  more  or  less  enriched  with  engraved  ornament  and  inscriptions,  serves 
as  the  dinner  table.  It  is  placed  on  a  stool  about  fifteen  inches  high,  made  of  wood,  and  often 
inlaid  with  mother-o'-pearl  or  ivory,  like  the  one  in  the  illustration  (on  page  77),  on  which  a 
coffee-pot  and  coffee-cups  are  arranged.  Of  all  people  of  the  East  it  may  be  said,  "  except 
they  wash  their  hands  diligently,  eat  not "  (Mark  vii.  3).  And  this  is  particularly  necessary  where 
knives  and  forks  are  not  used,  and  each  one  "  dips  his  hand  into  the  dish  "  with  his  neighbour. 

When  the  dinner  or  supper  is  ready  a  servant  brings  in  a  large  metal  basin  {tisht),  with 
a  perforated  cover  and  a  raised  perforated  receptacle  for  soap  in  the  middle,  and  places  it 
before  the  chief  or  most  aged  person  present,  who  takes  the  soap  and  rubs  his  hands,  while  a 
stream  of  water  is  poured  gently  over  them  from  a  long-spouted  ewer  (ibrtk) ;  the  water 
disappears  through  the  pierced  cover,  so  that  when  the  basin  is  carried  to  a  second  person  no 
soiled  water  is  visible.  The  same  process  is  repeated  after  a  meal.  It  is  an  after-dinner 
washing  of  hands  that  is  shown  in  the  illustration  on  page  yj.  The  elder  man,  who  is  blind, 
has  already  performed  the  ablution,  and  is  waiting  for  his  nargileh  to  be  lighted,  after  which 
coffee  will  be  served. 

It  need  hardly  be  said  that  no  ancient  buildings  are  left  standing  in  'Akka  ;  the  most 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE.  87 

important  of  the  modern  structures  owe  their  origin  to  Ahmed  Pasha,  surnamed  Jezzar  (the 
Butcher),  who  died  in  1804,  and  who  has  been  compared  to  Herod  for  his  cruelty,  as  well  as 
for  his  delight  in  building.  The  great  khan  of  Jezzar  Pasha  occupies  the  site  of  a  Dominican 
convent ;  the  galleries  surrounding  it  are  supported  by  ancient  columns  of  red  and  grey 
granite,  hence  it  is  known  as  Khan  el  Amid  (Khan  of  the  Columns).  The  great  mosque  of 
Jezzar  Pasha,  which  has  been  restored  again  and  again  (the  present  buttressed  dome  having 
been  erected  since  1863),  occupies  the  site  of  a  cathedral.  It  is  formed  chiefly  of  ancient 
materials,  the  columns  of  various  coloured  marbles  and  granite  having  been  brought  from 
Csesarea  and  Tyre.  It  is  an  elaborate  but  not  a  beautiful  structure.  It  stands,  however,  in 
the  centre  of  a  magnificent  quadrangular  court,  planted  with  cypress  and  palm  trees  and 
flowering  shrubs,  which  shelter  some  tombs  of  white  marble.  This  court  is  surrounded  by 
cloisters  supported  by  ancient  columns,  and  divided  into  apartments  for  the  accommodation 
of  the  mosque  attendants  and  pilgrims.  The  domed  roofs  of  these  retreats  may  be 
distinguished  in  the  illustration  on  page  76.  The  doves  hovering  over  the  great  dome  and 
settling  upon  it  are  characteristic  of  the  place,  for  these  birds  are  always  safe  within '  the 
precincts  of  a  mosque,  and  this  gives  rise  to  the  Arabic  expression,  "  As  safe  as  a  dove  in 
the  Haram  "  (the  sacred  enclosure). 

The  ramparts  of  'Akka,  to  which  access  can  only  be  gained  by  special  permission  of  the 
Pasha,  form  a  pleasant  and  interesting  promenade,  and  though  the  battered  walls  bristle  with 
cannons  and  mortars  (among  which  are  some  of  those  which  Sir  Sydney  Smith  captured  from 
Napoleon's  transport  ships),  yet  the  place  looked  peaceful  enough  when  I  last  walked  there,  for 
many  little  wild  plants  were  growing  out  of  the  crevices,  and  there  were  some  fine  specimens 
of  the  acanthus  in  full  blossom. 


SKETCH   OF   THE    EARLY    HISTORY   OF   'AKKA. 

It  is  recorded  in  Judges  i.  31,  32,  that  the  tribe  of  Asher,  to  whom  the  city  of  Accho, 
S»J  ('Akka)  was  assigned,  did  not  succeed  in  driving  out  its  inhabitants,  "  the  Canaanites,"  but 
"  dwelt  among  them."  The  fragments  of  buildings  which  have  been  found  here,  formed  of 
small  and  highly  sun-dried  bricks  with  a  mixture  of  cement  and  sand,  characteristic  of 
structures  of  the  remotest  ages,  may  be  regarded  as  relics  of  this  period.  No  further 
mention  is  made  of  Accho  in  the  Old  Testament,  but  it  is  occasionally  alluded  to  by  classic 
authors  as  Ake,  a  city  of  Phoenicia,  and  mention  is  made  of  it  by  Menander  as  having  yielded 
to  Assyria  when  Tyre  was  attacked  by  Shalmanasar.  Akkon  is  its  Assyrian  name.  That 
this  city  was  a  place  of  importance  when  Alexander  the  Great,  b.c.  333,  wrested  Syria, 
Palestine,  and  Egypt  from  Persian  rule,  is  proved  by  the  existence  of  numerous  very  fine 
gold  and  silver  coins  of  the  Macedonian  monarch  struck  at  'Akka.  When  Alexander's  vast 
dominions  were  divided  among  his  generals,  who  were  his  successors,  Egypt  fell  to  the  share  of 
Ptolemy,  who  subsequently  acquired  'Akka,  b.c.  320.     For  a  long  period  the  city  was.  under 

N    2 


88 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


THE    NORTHERN    POINT  OF  MOUNT  CARMEL. 

With  the  lighthouse  on  its  summit.  The  sandy  point  below  is  Ras 
Kertim  (the  head  of  the  vineyard).  The  city  of  'Akka  appears  in 
the  distance,  and  beyond  it  are  the  white  cliffs  of  Ras  en  Nakurah. 


the  rule  of  the  Ptolemies,  who  greatly  enlarged 
and  beautified  it,  and  gave  it  the  name  of 
Ptolema'fs.  But  of  this,  probably  its  most 
brilliant  era,  no  relics  which  can  be  with  cer- 
tainty identified  remain,  except,  the  coins  of  the 
Ptolemies. which  were  struck  here.  They  are 
distinguished  from  other  coins  of  the  Ptolemies 
by  the  initial  letters  of  Ptolemais,  ttt,  on  the 
obverse.  The  rule  of  the  Ptolemies  in  'Akka 
was  not  continuous;  they  lost  and  regained 
the  city  several  times  during  their  contests  with 
the  Seleucidsean  Kings  of  Syria  (see  i  Mac- 
cabees xi.,  xii.).  Ultimately  this  much-con- 
tended-for  city  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
Romans.  It  was  greatly  embellished  by  Herod, 
though  it  was  not  actually  within  his  jurisdiction, 


ACRE,  THE  KEY  OF  PALESTINE. 


89 


and  when  Paul  abode  there  one  day  (Acts  xxi.  7)  on  his  way  from  Tyre  (see  pages  55,  56, 


EL     MAHRAKAH,     THE     PLACE     OF 
ELIJAH'S   SACRIFICE. 

At  the  south-eastern  point  of  the  range  of  Car- 
mel.  In  the  foreground  is  the  green  knoll 
called  Tell  el  Kassts  (the  Hill  of  the  Priests), 
close  to  which  the  Kishon  flow's. 

and  59)  to  Csesarea  (see  page 
108),  it  had  already  been 
raised  to  the  rank  of  a  Roman  colony,  and 
must  have  been  a  splendid  city.  The  im- 
perial coinage  of  Ptolemais  extends  from  the 
reign  of  Claudius  to  the  time  of  Salonina 
(a.d.  41  to  a.d.  268).  The  obverse  bears  the 
head  and  titles  of  the  sovereign.  The  in- 
scription  of  the  reverse  is  generally  COL 
PTOL.  The  most  striking  reverse  types  are 
on  the  coins  of  Trajan  and  Hadrian — a  female  figure  wearing  a  mural  crown  (the  genius  of 


go  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

the  city)  seated  on  a  rock,  at  her  feet  a  river  (the  Belus),  and  in  her  right  hand  ears  of 
wheat ;  and  on  coins  of  Caracalla — a  hexastyle  temple  in  which  Fortune  stands  crowned  by 
Victory,  who  is  placed  on  a  column  beside  her.  At  an  early  period  this  city  became  an 
episcopal  see.  Clarus,  Bishop  of  Ptolemais,  attended  the  Council  of  Caesarea  a.d.  198  (see 
page  108). 

In  a.d.  638  the  Muhammedans  took  possession  of  Ptolemais,  and  its  Semitic  name  of 
Accho,  which  had  evidently  been  cherished  by  tradition,  was  immediately  revived  under  the 
form  of  'Akka. 

The  next  great  change  was  the  conquest  of  the  city  by  the  Crusaders  under  Baldwin  I. 
a.d.  1 104,  when  it  became  their  chief  stronghold  and  landing-place.  The  Venetians,  Genoese, 
and  Pisans,  whose  fleets  continually  conveyed  pilgrims  and  Crusaders,  stores  and  merchandise 
to  the  port  of  'Akka,  had  special  quarters  assigned  to  them  for  trade,  and  the  place  rapidly 
grew  in  importance;  yet  it  surrendered  to  Salah-ed-din  (Saladin)  without  resistance,  a.d.  1 187, 
after  his  decisive  victory  at  Hattin.  (For  a  view  of  Hattin  see  page  58,  and  for  a  description 
of  the  battle  of  Hattin  see  pages  63  and  64,  vol.  ii.)  'Akka  was  regained  by  the  Crusaders 
in  1 191,  after  a  long  siege,  by  the  timely  arrival  of  Richard  Plantagenet  and  Philip  Augustus 
with  fresh  forces.  The  city  remained  in  their  possession  for  exactly  one  hundred  years, 
during  which  time  many  splendid  buildings,  churches,  palaces,  monasteries,  and  aqueducts 
were  erected.  It  became  the  head-quarters  of  the  Knights  of  St.  John  of  Jerusalem,  and 
acquired  its  European  name  of  St.  Jean  d'Acre. 

The  coinage  of  the  Crusaders  is  very  interesting,  but  there  is  one  series  of  coins  so 
remarkable  as  to  be  worthy  of  special  notice  here. 

To  facilitate  dealings  with  the  Arabs,  the  Venetians,  who  may  be  regarded  as  the  money 
farmers  of  the  Crusaders,  struck  from  time  to  time,  at  Tripoli  (see  page  9),  'Akka,  and 
Jerusalem,  gold  coins  in  imitation,  more  or  less  exact,  of  the  dinars  of  the  khalifs.  On 
these  coins  the  name  and  titles  of  one  of  the  khalifs  appeared  on  the  obverse,  and  on  the 
reverse  the  declaration  of  the  Muhammedan  faith,  in  Arabic  in  the  Curie  character.  This 
practice  continued  for  a  long  period,  and  the  fabricated  coins  passed  current  throughout  the 
country.  When  Eudes  de  Chateauroux,  the  Legate  of  Pope  Innocent  IV.,  arrived  at  Acre 
with  Louis  IX.,  he  was  enraged  to  find  that  coins,  the  legends  of  which  declared  that 
Muhammed  was  the  Apostle  of  God,  were  struck  and  issued  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Crusaders.  Excommunication  was  pronounced  against  "  the  evil-doers  "  and  ratified  by  the 
Pope.  But  the  want  of  gold  coinage  was  such  a  serious  inconvenience  that  the  Venetians  of 
'Akka  resorted  to  a  subterfuge  to  get  over  the  difficulty.  They  once  more  imitated  the  coins 
of  the  khalifs,  but  substituted  Christian  legends  for  the  Muhammedan  ones.  For  instance, 
one  example  has  on  the  obverse  within  a  circle  (where  the  name  of  a  khalif  ought  to 
appear)  the  words,  "The  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Spirit,  One  God,"  and  in  the  margin, 
"Struck  at  'Akka  in  the  year  1251  of  the  incarnation  of  the  Messiah."  On  the  reverse, 
"  We  glory  in  the  cross  of  our  Lord  Jesus  the  Messiah,  by  whom  we  have  our  salvation,  our 


MOUNT  CAR  MEL.  91 

life,  our  resurrection,  and  by  whom  we  have  been  delivered  and  pardoned."  Another  coin 
dated  as  above  has  within  the  square  of  the  obverse,  "  One  God,  one  faith,  one  baptism,"  with 
a  small  cross  in  the  centre,  and  on  the  reverse  a  declaration  of  trinity  in  unity,  with  the 
words,  "  Glory  to  God  from  age  to  age,  Amen,"  in  the  segments  of  the  circle. 

Christian  rule  in  Palestine  came  to  an  end  in  a.d.  1291,  when  the  Egyptian  sultan,  Melek- 
el-Ashraf  Khalil,  son  of  Kalaoun,  took  the  city  of  'Akka  by  storm,  after  a  siege  of  one 
month.  He  gave  order's  for  the  demolition  of  its  walls  and  churches ;  but  a  gateway  of  one 
of  its  churches  was  preserved  and  carried  to  Cairo  (El  Kahireh)  as  a  trophy  of  victory. 
El  Makrtzi,  the  celebrated  Arab  historian  (refer  to  page  238,  vol.  ii.)  relates  the  circumstance, 
and  speaks  with  enthusiasm  of  the  beauty  of  this  gate,  saying,  "  It  is  one  of  the  most  admirable 
that  the  hands  of  man  have  made,  for  it  is  of  white  marble,  novel  in  style,  surpassing  in 
workmanship,  its  bases  and  jambs  and  columns  all  conjoined  (clustered),  and  the  whole  was 
conveyed  to  Al  Kahireh."  It  forms  the  entrance  to  the  mosque  tomb  of  Melek-en-Nasr 
Muhammed,  brother  and  successor  (1293 — 1341)  of  the  above  Melek-el-Ashraf  Khalil  (1290 
— 1293),  in  the  Suk  en  Nahhasin,  one  of  the  main  thoroughfares  of  Cairo ;  and  it  often  puzzles 
travellers  who  do  not  know  its  history.  This  gateway  is  especially  interesting,  being  the 
only  perfect  relic  now  left  of  the  numerous  churches  built  by  the  Crusaders  at  'Akka. 

A  traveller  in  Palestine  in  the  middle  of  the  fourteenth  century  (Ludolf  de  Suchem) 
describes  'Akka  as  empty  and  desolate,  but  he  says  that  its  churches,  towers,  and  palaces 
were  not  then  so  completely  destroyed  as  to  have  rendered  their  restoration  impossible. 
About  sixty  Saracens  were  left  to  guard  the  place  and  port.  They  supported  themselves  by 
the  culture  of  silk  and  the  sale  of  doves  and  partridges  which  swarmed  there.  The  city  was 
still  in  ruins  when  it  passed  into  the  possession  of  Selim  I.,  the  Sultan  of  Turkey,  a.d.  15 17, 
and  it  did  not  begin  to  revive  until  the  seventeenth  century.  The  only  remains  of  Crusading 
work  now  distinguishable  are  the  subterranean  magazines  beneath  the  modern  military  hospital, 
a  range  of  immense  vaults  under  the  ramparts,  traces  of  the  churches  of  St.  Andrew  and 
of  St.  John,  and  portions  of  the  city  wall. 

About  one  mile  due  east  of 'Akka  stands  the  "Mount  Turon  "  of  the  Crusaders,  where 
Richard  Cceur  de  Lion  encamped  in  1191,  and  where,  in  1799,  Napoleon  planted  his  batteries 
in  vain.  It  is  an  isolated  and  apparently  artificial  mount,  ninety-six  feet  in  height,  completely 
dominating  the  city  of 'Akka  and  overlooking  the  plain.  The  Arabic  name  of  this  hill  is  Tell 
el  Fokhar,  "  the  hill  of  potter's  clay,"  but  it  is  sometimes  called  Napoleon's  Mount,  and  is  also 
known  as  the  Mount  of  Antikdr,  the  name  given  to  King  Richard  in  the  numerous  Arabian 
chronicles  of  the  Crusades. 


MOUNT   CARMEL    AND   THE    RIVER   KISHON. 

The  distance,  in  a  straight  line,  from  the  promontory  of  'Akka  to  the  headland  of  Carmel 
(Ras  Kerum,  literally  "  the  head  of  the  vineyard  ")  is  eight  miles  (see  page  88).     Between  these 


92 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


two  points  the  coast  recedes  considerably,  and  the  distance  along  the  shore  is  more  than  twelve 
miles.     The  bay  thus  formed  widens  towards  the  south,  measuring  not  more  than  a  mile  near 

to  'Akka,  but  at  least  three  miles 
_      -----      -  -  r  = :      .  -  ~    _  Sa?>      opposite  the  mouth  of  me  river 

Kishon  (Nahr  Mukiitta'),  south 
of  which  the  curving  shore  forms 
the  haven  of  Haifa,  which  faces 
the  north  (see  page  80).  The 
broad  smooth  beach  of  fine  sand 
which  leads  from  'Akka  to  Haifa 
(see  page  83)  is  separated  from 


WELL    AT    THE    PLACE   OF    ELIJAH'S    SACRIFICE,   AND     A    VIEW     FROM 

THE   HEIGHTS   ABOVE   IT, 
Embracing  a  long  line  of  the  coast  of  the  plain  of  'Athlit,  with  a  strip  of  blue  sea  beyond. 


the  fertile  plain  by  a  broad  belt 
of     drifted     sand-dunes,    which 
extends  from  south  of  the  Belus 
(see  page    72)    to    Haifa,   inter- 
rupted only  by  the  ever-shifting 
mouth  of  the  Kishon,  a  distance 
of  nine  miles.      In  the  middle  of 
the  bay  this  belt  of  sand-hills  is 
a  mile  in  width.      But  it  is  not 
entirely    devoid    of    vegetation. 
There    are     frequent     tufts    of 
marram  grass  {Psamma  arenaria) 
binding  the  sand   with  its   long 
tangled    roots,    clumps    of    the 
beautiful    sea    holly    (Eryn.gium 
maritimum),  and  broad  patches 
of  alkali  (saltwort),  interspersed 


MOUNT  CARMEL. 


93 


here  and  there  with  half-buried  shrubs,  stunted  trees, 
and  thickets  of  tamarisks  ;  while  south  of  the  Kishon, 
the  narrowing  sand-ridge  is  crowned  with  palm-trees 
(Phoenix  dactyliferd),  which  form  an  extensive  grove, 
the  chief  glory  of  Haifa,  and  one  of  the  most 
picturesque  places  in  Palestine  (see  page  80  and  the 


VOL.  III. 


THE   RIVER   KISHON   FROM   EL   MAHRAKAH, 

The  place  of  Elijah's  sacrifice.     A  Bedawin  encampment  in  the  foreground,  and  the 
hills  of  Galilee  in  the  distance  beyond  a  forest  of  oak-trees. 


steel  plate  entitled  "Mount  Carmel").  Within  the  sand- 
dunes  north  of  the  Kishon  the  plain  extends  eastward  for  four  miles  to  the 
foot  of  the  hills,  where  there  are  numerous  villages  surrounded  by  olive- 
groves.     The  plain  is  in  many  parts  well  cultivated,  and  yields  cotton  and 

o 


94  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

tobacco,  good  crops  of  wheat  and  barley,  and  vegetables  of  many  kinds ;  liquorice  grows  wild. 
The  marshes  by  the  river  Belus  (Nahr  Na'man),  and  near  the  fountain  of  Jidru,  are  in  the 
spring-time  bright  with  blossoming  reeds  and  rushes,  and  the  blue  and  yellow  iris  springs  up  at 
the  edge  of  every  little  pool  c-f  water  (see  Job  viii.  n) ;  while  large  expanses  of  firm  ground 
bordering  the  marsh-land  are  carpeted  as  early  as  February  with  anemones — scarlet,  crimson, 
white,  blue,  purple,  pink,  and  lilac — with  patches  of  clover  and  mallow  here  and  there,  and 
golden  buttercups.  Meadow  grass  grows  quickly  here,  after  the  winter  rains,  to  the  height  of 
two  feet  or  more,  and  it  is  curious  to  see  the  frail  speedwell  and  pimpernel,  with  long  pale 
stems,  struggling  upwards  through  it  towards  the  light.  But  this  grass  of  rapid  growth  quickly 
falls  while  yet  green,  and  there  is  no  attempt  at  haymaking  (see  Job  viii.  1 2).  Many  horses, 
however,  are  sent  here  from  Haifa  to  graze  during  this  short  season  of  plentiful  pasturage. 

The  gardens  of  Haifa  are  pleasantly  situated  between  the  palm-grove  above  mentioned 
and  the  slopes  of  Carmel  (see  page  8o),  and  extend  from  near  the  east  gate  of  the  town  to 
Wady  Selman,  whose  winding  channels  and  large  lagoon  are  fringed  with  oleasters  and  sea 
lavender,  and  haunted  by  egrets,  herons,  and  kingfishers.  My  brother's  garden  was  about  a 
mile  and  a  half  from  Haifa,  and  just  opposite  Wady  Rashmia.  It  produced  fruit  and 
vegetables  of  many  kinds,  but  it  was  most  famous  for  its  large  white  mulberry  tree,  and  we 
often  rode  there  to  spend  the  hour  before  sunset  with  a  few  friends,  when  its  fruit  was  ripe, 
resting  on  mats  in  its  shade,  or  on  the  broad  stone  parapet  of  the  raised  pool  close  by. 
There  were  a  few  rose-bushes  and  carnations  round  the  rustic  dwelling  of  the  gardener  and 
his  two  wives,  who  seemed  to  live  very  amicably  together,  although  the  first  wife  was  an 
Arab  woman,  no  longer  young,  and  the  second  was  an  Egyptian  girl  whom  he  had  avowedly 
married  because  he  required  an  extra  assistant,  and  knew  that  she  was  clever  at  gardening, 
especially  in  the  cultivation  of  tomatoes,  the  bamieh  {Hibiscus  esculentus),  and  the  purple 
egg-plant  {Melongena  badinjan).  But  the  illustration  on  page  81  reminds  me  of  another 
garden,  the  first  I  visited  at  Haifa.  It  was  close  to  the  east  gate  of  the  town.  We  made  our 
way,  one  pleasant  afternoon  in  October,  down  a  short  narrow  lane  of  prickly  pears  (Cactus 
opuntia),  and  soon  came  to  a  little  mud-and-stone  hut,  the  dwelling-place  of  the  gardener  and 
his  family.  They  were  all  Egyptians  (who  are  generally  considered  more  skilful  than  the 
Arabs  in  the  cultivation  of  the  ground,  but  they  are  content  with  more  clumsy  machinery). 
Fig-trees,  olives,  pomegranates,  almonds,  oranges  and  lemons,  and  large  beds  of  cucumbers 
flourished  under  their  care,  and  a  few  date-palm  trees  embellished  the  enclosure  ;  the  fruit 
hangs  in  golden  clusters  from  these  trees  year  after  year,  but  it  does  not  arrive  at  perfection 
in  Palestine.  A  pleasant  sound  of  falling  water  attracted  us  towards  a  rudely  built  stone 
reservoir,  round  which  were  seated  a  company  of  fezzed  and  turbaned  Arabs  smoking, 
chatting,  and  eating  the  long  rough-skinned  but  juicy  cucumbers  for  which  this  garden  was 
especially  famous.  Water  was  falling  with  considerable  force  into  the  reservoir  from  a  duct 
supplied  by  a  series  of  earthenware  jars  attached  to  ropes  made  of  palm  fibre,  which  revolved 
round  a  vertical  cog-wheel,  moved  by  means  of  a  horizontal  wheel  also  cogged,  which  was 


■■'-',  .    ,'•'■, 


1^ 


& 


MOUNT  CARMEL.  95 

kept  in  motion  by  a  blindfolded  mule.  As  the  creaking  wheel  turned  found,  the  jars  dipped 
into  the  well  and  were  filled  with  water,  and  as  soon  as  they  reached  the  top  of  the  wheel  they 
emptied  themselves  into  the  trough,  and  so  on  again  and  again  as  long  as  the  mule  kept 
up  his  monotonous  round,  urged  on  by  a  little  barefooted  boy,  stick  in  hand  (see  page  81). 
(This  machine  is  called  a  sakiyeh;  it  is  said  to  be  of  Persian  origin  and  is  much  used  in 
Egypt.)  A  hole  in  the  lower  part  of  the  wall  of  the  reservoir  was  every  day  unplugged  for  a 
certain  time,  and  the  water  allowed  to  flow  into  the  little  furrows  or  channels  which  intersected 
the  beds  of  vegetables  and  encircled  the  trees  (see  page  46,  vol.  ii.). 

The  town  of  Haifa  occupies  a  space  in  the  form  of  a  parallelogram  on  a  gently  rising 
slope  close  to  the  seashore,  and  is  protected  by  well-built  stone  walls.  It  has  two  embattled 
gates,  one  at  each  end  of  the  main  thoroughfare,  which  is  parallel  with  the  shore,  and  has 
an  open  space  in  the  middle  where  camels  and  their  drivers  often  bivouac  by  lantern  or 
moonlight.  The  houses  are  very  irregularly  distributed,  and  with  few  exceptions  have  flat 
roofsr  on  which  the  grass  grows  freely  after  the  winter  rains.  Those  occupied  by  consuls, 
foreign  merchants,  and  the  wealthier  of  the  townspeople  are  large  substantial  two-storied 
structures,  some  of  which  have  central  verandahed  courts  paved  with  marble.  The  ground- 
floor  premises  are  generally  used  for  stabling  or  stores.  The  town  is  rapidly  rising  in 
importance,  and  its  markets  and  bazaars  are  well  supplied.  Many  houses  have  recently 
been  erected  outside  the  walls.  When  I  first  arrived  in  Haifa  in  1855  there  were  no 
suburban  dwellings  except  the  huts  of  the  gardeners,  and  the  population  was  not  much 
more  than  two  thousand ;  but  according  to  a  recent  estimate  it  contains  five  thousand 
inhabitants,  of  whom  more  than  half  are  Christians  of  various  communities.  The  remainder 
are  Muhammedans  and  a  considerable  number  of  Jews.  Immediately  behind  the  town  rises 
a  steep  hill,  a  spur  from  Mount  Carmel,  dotted  with  olive  and  terebinth  trees  and  crowned 
by  a  small  castle  called  Burj  Haifa,  in  which  English  cannon  balls  of  1840  are  embedded  (see 
steel  plate  "  Mount  Carmel,"  and  page  83).  Although  both  town  and  castle  have  a  somewhat 
venerable  appearance  they  are  quite  modern,  and  only  date  from  1761. 

The  old  historic  Haifa  which  was  taken  by  the  Crusaders  in  the  year  1100,  regained 
by  the  troops  of  Saladin  in  1190,  and  retaken  and  refortified  by  Louis  IX.,  was  a  mile  and 
a  half  north-west  of  the  present  town,  and  extended  nearly  as  far  as  Ras  Kerum  (see  page  88). 
It  was  called  by  its  Christian  conquerors  the  "  Seigneurie  de  Caiphas,"  and  among  its 
successive  rulers  were  Tancred,  afterwards  Regent  of  Antioch,  and  Rorgius,  who  had 
previously  been  "  Lord  of  Hebron."  But  the  city  was  lost  to  the  Crusaders,  and  almost 
destroyed  by  the  Muhammedans,  at  the  end  of  the  thirteenth  century.  It  still  existed, 
however,  in  1761,  when  Sheikh  Dhaher-el-'Amer  was  ruler  of  Central  Palestine  (refer  to 
page  76);  but  he  found  it  so  dangerously  exposed  to  the  incursions  of  nomadic  tribes  from 
the  plains  of  Athlit  (see  page  92),  that  he  determined  that  it  should  be  entirely  abandoned. 
Having  bombarded  the  place,  he  used  its  stones  to  build  the  walls  of  the  new  town.  He  also 
constructed  the  serai  and  the  castle  (see  page  83).      The  people  of  Haifa  by  degrees  built 

o  2 


96 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


their  new  homes  from  the  ruins 
of  their  old  ones,  and  for  more 
than  a  century  the  site  of  the  old 
city,  now  called  Haifa  el  'Atikah, 
served    as    a   quarry   of    ready- 
dressed    stones.       It    is   at    the 
present     time     almost     covered 
with  gardens  and  drifting  sand- 
hills,   but    foundations   of   walls, 
broken  columns,  and   large  por- 
tions of  tesselated  pavement  are 
sometimes    exposed,    while     the 
shingly   beach    below   is    strewn 
with    fragments    of  granite   por- 
phyry,   rosso     antico,    and    ser- 
pentine  marble.       The   ruins   of 
a  tower  stand  on  the  shore  and 
are  washed  by  the  sea.     "  Hidden 
treasures"  of  more  or  less  value 
have    been     found     occasionally 
among    the    ruins.       The    most 
important    discovery    was    made 
about   thirty  years  ago,  when  a 
workman     diviner     for     dressed 
stones    found    a    jar    containing 
one    thousand    gold   coins  of    a 
period  anterior  to  Muhammedan 
rule  in  Palestine. 

Nearly  midway  between  the 
new  town  and  these  ruins  (just 
where  the  strip  of  land  between 
the  slopes  of  Carmel  and  the 
shore  widens  out  into  a  plain 
rather  more  than  half  a  mile  in 
width)  a  small  colony  of  German 
Templists,  chiefly  of  the  agri- 
cultural and  artisan  class,  estab- 
lished themselves  several  years 
ago.     Some  of  them  have  lived 


MOUNT  CARMEL. 


97 


in  America  and  can  speak  English.  They  numbered  in  1877  about  three  hundred  and 
fifty  individuals.  Their  village  consists  of  a  long  straight  street  running  up  from  the  sea 
to  the  foot  of  the  hills.  Two  parallel  streets  have  been  laid  out.  The  houses,  some  of 
which  have  sloping  red-tiled  roofs,  are  built  of  white  limestone,  or  of  reddish  grit,  quarried 


THE   RIVER   KISHON. 

As  it  appears  after  the  rainy  season,  where  it  flows  through  the  narrow  pass  called  Wady  el  Kasab  (Valley  of  Reeds),  which  leads  from  the  great 
plain  of  Esdraelon  to  the  plain  of  'Akka.     Oleanders  flourish  here,  and  many  small  birds  build  their  nests. 


in  the  mountains  close  by.  Each  dwelling-house  stands  in  its  own  garden,  and  has  a  well  and 
a  cistern  for  rain-water.  The  street  is  planted  with  an  avenue  of  mulberry,  sycamore,  and 
other  trees,  and  the  hill  just  above  it  has  been  newly  terraced  and  planted  with  vines  by  the 
colonists.      (It  can  be  traced  in  the  distance  in  the  steel  plate,  "  Mount  Carmel.")      They 


98  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

have  a  chapel  and  a  college,  where  several  languages,  including  Arabic,  are  taught,  and  a 
library  and  reading-room.  At  the  lower  end  of  the  street  there  is  an  hotel  of  simple 
character,  which  is  greatly  praised  by  travellers  for  its  cleanliness.  Near  it  stands  a  guard- 
house for  the  use  of  the  nightly  patrol. 

Beyond  the  colony  the  plain  extends  towards  the  north-west  to  the  headland  of  Carmel, 
a  distance  of  a  mile  and  a  quarter,  with  an  average  breadth  of  half  or  three-quarters  of  a  mile, 
and  an  area  of  about  six  hundred  acres  of  good  arable  land,  all  now  under  cultivation,  half  of 
it  being  owned  or  rented  by  the  Germans,  and  the  rest  by  Arabs.  Olive-groves  (a  few  groups 
of  which  belong  to  the  colonists)  skirt  the  base  of  the  hills,  and  the  sandy  seashore  is  fringed 
with  fig  orchards  and  hedges  of  Cactus  opuntia  (prickly  pear).  The  colonists  have  made  a 
carriage  road  from  Haifa  to  Nazareth,  and  there  is  a  carriage-maker  among  them.  They 
have  also  a  soap  manufactory,  which  is  beginning  to  do  a  good  trade  with  America.  Every 
family  has  a  cow  or  two  and  a  few  goats,  which  an  Arab  is  employed  to  collect  and  take  out 
to  pasture  every  day.  They  are  not  rich,  but  they  have  enough  for  their  actual  needs,  and 
seem  to  be  happy.  They  live  peaceably  with  the  people  of  the  country,  but  apparently  do  not 
desire  to  fraternise  with  them.* 

Near  to  the  rocky  shore  at  the  foot  of  the  western  extremity  of  Mount  Carmel,  where  the 
plain  is  not  more  than  two  hundred  yards  in  width  (its  narrowest  part),  there  is  a  mound  of 
ruins  called  Tell  es  Semak,  and  a  ruined  fortress,  evidently  built  to  guard  the  pass.  This 
probably  was  the  site  of  Sycaminum,  a  city  which  Strabo,  who  died  a.d.  24,  describes  as 
existing  only  in  name  in  his  time,  but  which  must  have  been  of  considerable  importance  a 
century  earlier,  for  large  and  beautiful  gold  coins  of  Cleopatra,  the  thrice-married  daughter 
of  Ptolemy  VI.,  surnamed  Philometer,  were  struck  at  Sycamina  in  the  year  of  the  Seleu- 
cidae  187  =  b.c.  125.  (The  strange  story  of  her  life  is  graphically  told  in  1  Maccabees 
x.  xi.) 

Josephus  relates  that  when  Ptolemy  VIII.,  surnamed  Lathyrus,  came  from  Cyprus  with  an 
army  of  thirty  thousand  men  to  besiege  Ptolemais  ('Akka),  "  he  came  to  the  country  of 
Sycamine,  and  there  set  his  army  ashore."  Wherever  the  city  may  have  stood,  "the  country 
of  Sycamine  "  must  have  included  the  shores  of  the  haven  within  the  northern  headland  of 
Carmel,  the  haven  of  Zebulun.  "  Zebulun  shall  dwell  at  the  haven  of  the  sea ;  and  he  shall 
be  for  an  haven  of  ships"  (Gen.  xlix.  13 ;  see  page  83).  pyin,  the  Hebrew  word  for  haven,  is 
echoed,  with  a  slight  variation,  and  perpetuated  in  the  Arabic  name  of  the  town  of  Haifa, 
Ujo*,  and  the  Greek  'H<£d. 

Eusebius,  who  died  in  a.d.  338,  speaks  of  a  village  of  Sycaminum,  "  also  called  'H<f>d,"  and 
this  seems  to  indicate  that  the  new  Sycaminum  was  built  in  the  "  haven,"  probably  on  the  site 

*  The  sect  of  "  Temple  Christians,"  called  also  "  Lovers  of  Jerusalem,"  had  its  origin  in  a  little  village  of  Wurtemberg,  in  the  year  1851. 
A  few  piously-disposed  individuals  united  themselves  into  a  society  for  the  promotion  of  spiritual  life.  Their  numbers  quickly  increased,  and 
in  1853  they  started  a  newspaper ;  Christopher  Hoffmann,  its  editor,  was  elected  president  of  the  community.  One  of  their  chief  aspirations  was 
to  help  to  restore  fertility  to  the  land  once  "  flowing  with  milk  and  honey."  Accordingly,  in  the  year  1868,  they  sent  pioneers  to  Palestine  to  select 
suitable  places  for  colonisation.  Plots  of  land  were  purchased  at  Haifa  and  at  Jaffa,  and  the  first  company  of  colonists  arrived  in  the  autumn 
of  that  year.    A  colony  was  subsequently  established  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Jerusalem. 


MOUNT  CARMEL.  99 

now  called  Haifa  el  'Atikah  (see  map).  In  the  Talmud  reference  is  made  to  rain,  Haifha  and 
Shikmonah. 

Mount  Carmel  is  called  in  Arabic  Jebel  Mar  Elyas  (the  mountain  of  Saint  Elijah),  and 
from  time  immemorial  it  has  been  regarded  as  a  sacred  place,  "the  Mount  of  God."  In  the 
time  of  Tacitus  an  altar  to  the  "  God  of  Carmel "  is  said  still  to  have  stood  upon  the  mount, 
but  without  temple  or  ornament,  and  upon  this  altar  Vespasian  sacrificed  and  consulted  the 
oracle  as  to  his  future  fortunes. 

The  grottoes  and  caves  of  Mount  Carmel  were  at  a  very  early  period  used  as  places  of 
retreat  by  holy  men  and  sages,  and  it  is  recorded  that  even  Pythagoras  retired  here  for  study 
and  meditation.  Prophets  and  philosophers  were  succeeded  by  Christian  recluses,  and  a 
regular  order  of  "hermits  of  Mount  Carmel"  was  instituted  in  the  year  400,  by  Jean, 
Patriarch  of  Jerusalem,  in  honour  of  the  Prophet  Elijah.  (Some  of  the  stories  and  fables 
which  were  related  to  me  by  people  of  Haifa  were  attributed  to  a  hermit  of  Mount 
Carmel.)  From  these  hermits  naturally  sprang  the  monastic  order  of  the  Carmelites,  which 
was  organized  early  in  the  thirteenth  century.  Under  the  protection  of  the  Crusaders  they 
built  a  monastery,  which  was  visited  by  Louis  IX.  in  1252.  Edward  I.  of  England  was 
enrolled  in  this  order,  and  one  of  its  most  famous  generals  was  an  Englishman,  Simon  Stock 
or  Stoke,  of  Kent,  who  for  sixteen  years  lived  in  a  grotto,  which  is  now  enclosed  in  a  chapel 
on  the  slope  of  Carmel  just  below  the  lighthouse  (see  page  88).  His  memory  is  greatly 
revered;  he  died  in  1265. 

In  1 291,  when  the  Crusaders  finally  lost  their  possessions  in  Palestine,  the  monastery 
(which  was  on  the  site  of  the  present  building,  shown  on  page  84)  was  attacked  and  plundered, 
and  many  of  its  inmates  were  murdered.  The  place  was  deserted  and  remained  in  ruins  for  a 
long  period.  The  grotto  known  as  "the  School  of  the  Prophets,"  at  the  foot  of  Mount 
Carmel  (see  page  85),  was,  after  a  long  interval,  purchased  and  tenanted  for  a  time  by  a  small 
company  of  Carmelites.  A  little  chapel  was  built  close  to  it  by  Fra  Prospero,  but  in  1635 
the  monks  were  massacred  by  the  Muhammedans,  who  took  possession  of  the  place  and  have 
held  it  ever  since.  They  regard  it  with  great  reverence,  and  keep  lamps  constantly  burning 
there  in  honour  of  Elijah,  and  it  is  visited  by  a  great  number  of  pilgrims  of  divers  creeds 
every  year.  The  grotto,  which  is  partly  artificial,  is  twenty-eight  by  twenty-one  feet  square, 
and  eighteen  feet  in  height.  I  once  saw  a  rudely  carved  and  painted  wooden  cradle  here,  and 
was  told  that  it  had  been  brought  by  a  young  mother  who  had  lost  two  children  successively  in 
infancy,  and  who  desired  a  blessing  and  protection  for  her  newly-born  child,  an  infant  son. 
A  small  house,  built  only  a  few  years  ago,  stands  opposite  the  entrance  to  the  grotto,  where 
the  ruins  of  the  chapel  of  Fra  Prospero  could  formerly  be  traced.  A  palm-tree  grows  within 
the  enclosed  court  of  this  sanctuary  (see  page  85). 

The  monastery  which  Napoleon  visited  in  1799,  and  which  was  used  as  a  hospital  for 
his  wounded  soldiers  after  his  unsuccessful  siege  of 'Akka,  was  destroyed  in  182 1  by  Abdallah 
Pasha. 


IOO 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


The  present  monastery  or  "  Convent  of  Mount  Carmel "  (see  page  84),  though  dedicated 
'  in  honorem  B.  B.  Virginis  Marise,"  is  commonly  called  Deir  Mar  Elyas  (the  Convent  of 
Saint  Elijah).  It  owes  its  origin  to  the  indefatigable  exertions  of  one  monk,  Fra  Giovanni 
Battista  di  Frascati,  who  collected  the  money  for  its  erection.  Its  first  stone  was  laid  in  1828. 
It  is  very  substantially  built;  the  north  side  is  protected  by  a  ditch  ;  the  bastion  on  the  east 
side,  plainly  shown  in  the  illustration,  is  formed  by  the  apse  of  the  chapel  which  is  built  over 
the  so-called  grotto  of  Elijah.  On  a  side  altar  of  this  chapel  there  is  a  large  statue  of  the 
prophet  carved  in  wood,  adorned  with  silver  bracelets,  anklets,  and  necklets,  and  a  silver 

chain  from  which  is  suspended  an  Austrian 
gold  coin    of  the  value   of  five   sovereigns. 
These  ornaments  are  chiefly  votive  offer- 
ings of  the  peasantry  of  Mount  Carmel, 


ATHLIT,    FROM   THE   SOUTH. 

Called  Castellum  Peregrinorum  by  Mediaeval  writers.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
important  landing-places  for  pilgrims  during  the  thirteenth  century.  It 
stands  on  a  rocky  promontory  which  projects,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  westward 
into  the  sea. 


including  the  Druses.  There  are  generally  from  eighteen  to 
twenty  monks  in  residence,  one  of  whom  must  be  a  qualified 
surgeon.     A  most  hospitable  and  courteous  welcome  is  always 

given  to  European  travellers,  for  whom  twenty-eight  beds  in  the  handsome  suite  of  rooms  on 
the  first  floor  are  always  kept  in  readiness.  Native  pilgrims  are  accommodated  on  the  ground- 
floor  and  in  the  building  surmounted  by  a  lighthouse  west  of  the  convent  (see  page  84).  The 
monks  diligently  cultivate  a  garden  of  flowers  and  vegetables,  and  the  vine  flourishes  under 
their  care.  From  the  abundant  aromatic  herbs  of  Carmel  they  distil  fragrant  essences  and  very 
valuable  medicaments.  They  possess  about  three  hundred  goats  and  twenty  cows,  and  employ 
native  herdsmen  to  lead  them  to  pasture.  There  are  several  small  chapels  south  and  east  of 
the  convent,  called  "Rumitorii ;  "  in  one  of  them  there  is  a  statue  of  John  the  Baptist,  carved 
in  wood. 


MOUNT  CARMEL. 


101 


About  two  miles  due  south  of  the  convent,  on  a  level  space  half-way  up  a  picturesque 
winding  valley  called  Wady  es  Siyeh,  _L»J!,  on  the  western  slope  of  Mount  Carmel,  there  is 
a  ruin  known  as  Ed  Deir  (the  Convent).     It  is  close  to  a  copious  fountain,  " '  Ain  es  Siyeh  "  (the 


RUINS   ON  THE   WEST   SIDE   OF   ATHLIT. 
The  fortress  was  built  by  the  Templars  in  the  year  1218,  and  was 
the  last  place  held  by  the  Crusaders  in  Palestine.     It  was 
taken   by  the   Sultan   Melek  el  Ashraf  el   Khalil   after   his 
conquest  of  Acre  in  1291. 

Pilgrim's  Spring),  and  near  to  a  large  and 
partly  artificial  cave,  which,  according  to  a  very  ancient 
tradition,  was  a  favourite  retreat  of  Elijah,  and  is  regarded 
as  a  sacred  "  place  "  (mukdm)  by  the  Muhammedans  (refer  to  page  3,  vol.  ii.).  The  ruin, 
Ed  Deir,  probably  marks  the  site  of  the  convent  said  to  have  been  built  by  Brocardus  (the 
second  general  of  the  order  of  the  Carmelites)  "at  the  fountain  of  Elijah."  It  had  but  a 
brief  existence,  for  it  was  pillaged  and  its  inmates  were  massacred  in  the  year  1238.  The 
Carmelites  did  not  re-occupy  this  site,  and  the  building  gradually  fell  to  decay. 

VOL.  III.  p 


102  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Higher  up  in  the  valley  there  is  a  place  called  "  Elijah's  Garden,"  where  hollow  stones 
the  geodes  of  geologists),  called  locally  "  petrified  fruits,"  are  found.  The  very  large  ones, 
which  are  now  rare,  resemble  water  melons  in  form  and  size  ;  smaller  ones,  which  are  regarded 
as  apples,  are  more  common.  These  hollow  stones  are  composed  of  a  pale-coloured  flint,  with 
a  thin  coating  of  lime,  the  surface  of  which  is  of  a  tawny  tint ;  the  interior  is  lined  with  quartz 
or  chalcedony,  and  some  of  the  specimens  are  exceedingly  beautiful.  In  addition  to  these 
there  are  small  stones  which  are  not  unlike  olives  in  shape  and  size ;  they  are  known  as 
Lapidis  Judaici,  and  are  said  to  be  the  fossil  spines  of  a  species  of  echinus  {Cidaris  glandiferd). 
The  existence  of  these  stony  fruits  is  accounted  for  by  an  ancient  legend,  of  which  I  have 
heard  many  versions;  but  it  was  related  to  me  as  follows,  on  the  spot,  in  the  year  1858,  when 
I  spent  a  whole  day  in  the  valley  with  my  brother  and  a  large  party  of  Haifa  friends  : — "  In 
the  days  of  Elijah  (Mar  Elyas),  a  certain  man  possessed  a  large  garden  in  this  valley.  His 
fruit-trees  flourished  exceedingly,  and  his  water-melons  were  renowned  for  their  size  and 
flavour.  One  day  Elijah  passed  by  this  garden,  and  he  saw  its  owner  gathering  melons,  and 
there  was  a  great  heap  of  them  upon  the  ground  ;  and  Elijah  said,  '  O  friend  !  give  me  of  the 
fruit  of  your  garden,  out  of  your  abundance  a  little  fruit  to  quench  my  thirst ! '  And  the 
man  answered,  '  O  my  Lord !  this  is  not  fruit  that  you  see ;  these  are  but  heaps  of  stones ! ' 
And  Elijah  replied,  '  Be  it  so!'  And  immediately  all  the  fruit  of  the  garden,  the  gathered 
and  the  ungathered,  was  turned  to  stone  ! "  * 

A  pilgrimage  to  this  place  is  very  pleasant  in  the  early  spring-time,  when  the  valley  is 
bright  with  blossoming  shrubs,  and  the  cyclamen  and  narcissus,  and  many  other  wild  flowers, 
spring  up  luxuriantly  among  the  thorns.  To  give  some  idea  of  the  wildness  of  this  valley 
I  may  mention  that,  in  addition  to  some  specimens  of  fruits  from  the  Garden  of  Elijah,  I  have 
a  broken  tusk  of  a  wild  boar,  a  beautifully  formed  horn  of  a  gazelle,  and  the  claw  of  a  leopard 
or  cheetah,  all  of  which  were  found  there  on  the  same  day. 

The  corresponding  valley  on  the  other  side  of  the  ridge  or  watershed  of  Mount  Carmel 
is  a  tributary  of  Wady  Rashmia,  a  beautiful  valley  which  runs  towards  the  north,  and  falls  into 
the  Nahr  Matneh  about  one  mile  east  of  the  town  of  Haifa  (see  page  80).  The  terraced 
hills  of  Rashmia  (see  map)  were  formerly  planted  with  vines  and  olives,  but  they  are  now 
overgrown  with  thorns  and  brushwood  and  tall  thistles.  In  a  commanding  position,  seven 
hundred  and  seventy-seven  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  there  are  the  remains  of  a  strong 
fortress,  an  oblong  building  with  a  square  tower  at  its  north-east  corner ;  the  walls  are  seven 
feet  in  thickness,  and  constructed  of  rather  soft  limestone.  It  is  comparatively  modern,  but 
is  quite  deserted  and  allowed  to  fall  into  decay.  South  of  this  fortress  there  is  a  solitary 
rock-cut  nameless  tomb,  evidently  of  a  very  early  period.  A  grooved  recess,  to  the  left  of  the 
square- headed  entrance  to  it,  proves  that  it  was  formerly  closed  by  a  "  rolling  stone,"  four  feet 

*  There  are  many  similar  stories  told  by  the  people  of  Palestine  in  deprecation  of  inhospitality  to  wayfarers.  For  instante  :— "  One  day, 
when  Abraham  was  on  a  journey,  he  passed  by  a  large  heap  of  rock-salt,  and  he  asked  its  owners  to  give  him  a  handful  of  it,  but  they  said, 
'  Alas !  this  is  not  salt ;  it  is  only  rock  in  the  likeness  of  salt.'  Ami  Abraham  answered,  '  Be  it  even  as  you  have  said  ! '  And  immediately  the 
salt  became  tasteless  rock,  and  the  rock  is  called  to  this  day  '  the  salt  that  lost  its  savour.'  " 


MOUNT  CAR  MEL.  103 

in  diameter,  and  this  renders  it  especially  interesting  (see  Mark  xvi.  4),  for  tombs  of  this  kind 
are  now  very  rarely  met  with  (refer  to  page  100,  vol.  i.).  Lieutenant  Conder  has  carefully 
examined  it,  and  he  says  that  its  "  three  loculi  are  cut  in  the  very  hardest  stone." 

Immediately  to  the  east  of  Haifa  there  is  a  little  valley  called  Wady  es  Salib  (the  Valley 
of  the  Cross).  It  is  famous  for  its  profusion  of  fragrant  herbs,  such  as  salvias  of  many  kinds, 
wild  thyme,  lavender,  and  rosemary.     Wild  asparagus,  too,  may  be  gathered  here. 

When  an  Arab  story-teller  interrupts  the  thread  of  his  narrative  by  describing  details 
too  minutely,  he  is  rebuked  for  quitting  the  main  road  to  wander  right  and  left  into  the  wadys. 
I  find  it  rather  difficult  to  avoid  this  error  now,  for  every  valley  and  ravine  of  Mount  Carmel 
has  some  especial  attraction  for  me.  But  I  must  hasten  onwards.  A  reference  to  the  map 
will  show  that  the  central  ridge  of  Carmel  extends  in  a  south-easterly  direction  from  the 
Carmelite  monastery,  which  is  five  hundred  and  fifty-six  feet  above  the  sea,  and  rises 
gradually  till,  at  the  Druse  village  of  Esfia,  a  distance  of  about  ten  miles,  it  attains  the  height 
of  seventeen  hundred  and  forty-two  feet.  Between  these  two  points  there  is  not  a  single 
habitation  and  no  cultivation  of  any  kind.  Large  expanses  of  the  undulating  table-land  are 
covered  with  thorny  burnet  {Poterium  spinosiwi),  shrubberies  of  myrtle,  box  and  bay  trees, 
thickets  of  arbutus  and  evergreen  oaks,  with  small  groups  of  wild  olive  and  pine  trees  here  and 
there.  Clematis  and  bryony  travel  from  tree  to  tree,  and  a  multitude  of  wild  flowers  spring 
up  after  the  winter  rains.  The  Styrax  officinalis  flourishes  here,  and  tall  hollyhocks,  red 
and  pink,  may  frequently  be  seen.  Many  ruined  sites  and  ancient  cisterns,  mill-stones,  and  oil 
and  wine  presses,  remain  to  show  that  the  mount  was  formerly  well  peopled  and  carefully 
cultivated.  It  is  said  that  as  recently  as  the  second  decade  of  this  century  there  were 
seventeen  villages  still  in  existence,  and  inhabited  by  Druses.  In  the  troublous  times  which 
followed  they  were  nearly  all  destroyed,  and  only  two  now  remain  on  Mount  Carmel,  namely, 
the  above-mentioned  Esfia,  and  Daliet  el  Kurmul,  two  miles  and  a  quarter  south-west  of  it. 
It  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  at  this  latter  place  alone  the  ancient  name  of  the  mountain  is 
preserved  by  the  native"  population.  It  was  evidently  called  Daliet  el  Kurmul  (Carmel)  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  Daliet  of  the  Ruheh  district.  Daliet  signifies  "  trained  vine,"  and  el 
Kurmul  represents  bansn,  "the  vineyard  of  God,"  hence  it  is  "  the  trained  vine  of  the  vineyard 
of  God."  The  vine  is  still  carefully  cultivated  here  as  well  as  at  Esfia,  and  corn-fields, 
orchards,  and  olive-yards  give  a  cheerful  aspect  to  these  isolated  Druse  villages.  There  are  a 
few  Christians  living  here,  on  friendly  terms  with  the  Druses,  but  they  are  easily  distinguished 
by  their  dress,  which  is  like  that  of  the  people  of  Nazareth. 

The  houses  are  built  of  stone,  and  form  a  pleasant  contrast  to  the  mud-built  hovels  of  the 
villages  in  the  plains.  The  roof  of  the  highest  house  of  Esfia,  which  is  situated  on  the 
highest  point  of  the  main  ridge  of  Carmel,  was  chosen  as  the  trigonometrical  station  during 
the  recent  survey,  much  to  the  satisfaction  and  pride  of  its  owner.  I  stayed  at  Esfia  for  a 
short  time  once  during  a  hot  summer,  greatly  enjoying  the  cool  fresh  mountain  air,  and  I  can 
testify  to  the  extreme  kindliness  of  the  people.     They  are  greatly  superior  in  appearance  and 

v  2 


io4 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


VIEW   OF  THE  GREAT   SEA   FROM  ATHLfT, 

Through  a  large  pointed  arch,  which  Is  only  held  in  position  by  the  extreme  hardness  and  tenacity  of  the  cement  used  in  the  construction  cf 

this  fortress. 


MOUNT  CAR  MEL. 


105 


intelligence  to  the  inhabitants  of  the  villages  in  the  plains.  Some  of  the  women  were  really 
handsome,  and  the  young  girls  and  little  children  remarkably  pretty. 

About  a  mile  and  a  half  due  south  of  Esfia  there  is  a  peak  which  rises  to  the  height  of 
eighteen  hundred  and  ten  feet  above  the  sea.  This  is  the  highest  point  of  Carmel  ;  it  is 
half  a  mile  west  of  the  central  ridge  or  watershed,  and  is  rarely  visited. 

From  Esfia  we  can  proceed  to  El  Mahrakah  (see  page  89),  at  the  south-eastern  extremity 


REMAINS   OF   A   CRUSADING    FORT   AT   TANTURAH. 
Its  shattered  tower  is  thirty  feet  in  height.    In  the  distance  the  village  of  Tantdrah  appears,  on  the  site  of  the  ancient  city  of  Dor. 


of  the  Carmel  range.  In  a  direct  line  it  is  only  three  miles  and  a  half  distant,  but  practically 
it  is  nearly  five  miles,  and  the  undefined  road,  over  rocky  hills  and  undulating  table-land 
covered  with  dense  thickets  and  brushwood,  is  so  tortuous  that  it  cannot  possibly  be  followed 
without  an  experienced  guide.  The  rude  quadrangular  structure  of  hewn  stones  called  El 
Mahrakah,  "  the  place  of  burning,"  is  on  a  terrace  of  natural  rock,  sixteen  hundred  and  eighty 
feet  above  the  sea,  facing  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  (see  page  96).     A  steep,  well-wooded  cliff, 


106  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

fifty  or  sixty  feet  high,  rises  behind  it,  and  on  a  plateau  beneath  it  there  is  an  ancient  rock-cut 
well  called  Bir  el  Mansureh,  shaded  by  a  few  fine  trees,  one  of  which  is  a  Turkey  oak  (see 
page  92). 

According  to  a  tradition  preserved  at  the  convent  and  by  the  Druses  of  Mount  Carmel, 
this  was  the  scene  of  Elijah's  contest  with  the  four  hundred  and  fifty  prophets  of  Baal,  in  the 
presence  of  King  Ahab  and  all  the  children  of  Israel  and  the  four  hundred  prophets  of  the 
groves  (see  1  Kings  xviii.  17 — 40).  This  identification  is  mentioned  in  a  brief  history  of  Mount 
Carmel  written  by  an  Italian  monk  in  1780.  The  late  Dean  Stanley,  who  visited  this  place 
in  the  year  1853,  says  :  "  The  tradition  is  unusually  trustworthy;  it  is,  perhaps,  the  only  one 
in  Palestine  in  which  the  recollection  of  an  alleged  event  has  been  actually  retained  in  the 
native  Arabic  nomenclature.  Many  names  of  towns  have  been  so  preserved  ;  but  here  is  no 
town,  only  a  shapeless  ruin;  yet  the  spot  has  a  name,  El  Mahrakah,  'the  burning' or  'the 
sacrifice.'  The  Druses  come  here  from  a  distance  to  perform  a  yearly  sacrifice  ;  and,  though  it 
is  possible  this  practice  may  have  originated  the  name,  it  is  more  probable  that  the  practice 

itself  arose  from  an  earlier  tradition There,  on  the  highest  ridge  of  the  mountain, 

may  well  have  stood,  on  its  high  sacred  place,  the  altar  of  Jehovah  which  Jezebel  had  cast  down. 
Close  beneath,  on  a  wide  upland  sweep,  under  the  shade  of  ancient  olives  and  round  a  well  of 
water  (see  page  92),  must  have  been  ranged  on  one  side  the  king  and  the  people  with  the 
eight  hundred  and  fifty  prophets  of  Baal  and  Astarte,  and  on  the  other  the  solitary  and 
commanding  figure  of  the  prophet  of  Jehovah.  Full  before  them  opened  the  whole  plain  of 
Esdraelon,  the  city  of  Jezreel  with  Ahab's  palace  and  Jezebel's  temple  distinctly  visible  (see 
page  96) ;  in  the  nearer  foreground  was  clearly  shown  the  winding  bed  of  the  Kishon  (see 
page  93).  From  morning  till  noon,  and  from  noon  till  the  time  of  evening  sacrifice,  the  priests 
of  Baal  cried  in  vain,  '  O  Baal,  hear  us ! '  When  the  sun  was  sinking  behind  the  mountain, 
Elijah's  sacrifice  was  accepted  by  fire  from  heaven.  The  last  act  of  the  tragedy  was  performed 
on  the  plain  below,  when  Elijah  brought  the  defeated  prophets  down  the  steep  declivity 
to  the  torrent  of  the  Kishon,  and  slew  them  there."  It  has  been  suggested  that  this 
terrible  scene  took  place  close  to  Tell  el  Kassis,  "  the  hill  of  the  priests,"  a  green  mound 
situated  in  the  narrowest  part  of  the  pass  or  valley  called  El  Kasab  (see  page  89),  which 
unites  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  with  the  plain  of  '  Akka ;  and  this  is  not  improbable,  for 
a  path  leads  down  from  El  Mahrakah  to  the  river  Kishon,  just  opposite  to  Tell  el  Kassis 
(see  page  93).  The  river  is  generally  fordable  near  this  spot,  but  its  bed  must  have  been 
quite  dry  on  this  occasion  after  the  long  drought.  The  incident  which  followed  can  be 
perfectly  realised  at  El  Mahrakah.  Elijah  returned  to  the  "  high  place  "  on  the  mount,  but  he 
told  his  servant  to  go  up  still  higher,  and  look  out  towards  the  sea ;  and  he  went  up  to  the 
top  of  the  steep  wooded  cliff  which  hides  the  western  horizon,  and  he  looked  and  saw  the 
Mediterranean  beyond  the  plain  of  Athllt,  just  as  it  is  represented  on  page  92,  but  he  saw 
no  cloud.  Elijah  said,  "  Go  again,"  seven  times,  and  after  the  seventh  time  the  servant  said, 
"  Behold,  there  ariseth  a  little  cloud  out  of  the  sea,  like  a  man's  hand  "  (a  sure  sign  of  coming 


MOUNT  CARMEL.  107 

rain  to.  this  clay),  and  soon  the  heavens  were  "black  with  clouds  and  wind,  and  there  was  a 
great  rain.  And  Ahab  rode,  and  went  to  Jezreel  .  .  .  and  Elijah  girded  up  his  loins,  and 
ran  before  Ahab  to  the  entrance  of  Jezreel"  (1  Kings  xviii.  45,  46).  The  view  (on  page  96) 
of  the  great  treeless  plain  of  Esdraelon  (Merj  ibn  Amir),  as  seen  from  El  Mahrakah,  shows 
the  route  they  must  have  taken.  They  went  towards  the  south-east,  curving  round  the  curiously 
shaped  hill  called  Tell  Kaimiin,  which  I  have  heard  compared  to  a  curved  cucumber  (the  site 
of  Jokneam),  and  then  hastened  onwards  straight  to  Jezreel  (Zerin),  a  distance  of  sixteen  miles. 
The  modern  village  and  its  little  castle  can  be  plainly  distinguished  in  the  illustration,  and  it  is 
interesting  to  compare  them  with  the  nearer  views  shown  on  pages  26,  27,  and  30,  vol.  ii. 

The  view  from  El  Mahrakah,  looking  towards  the  north-east  (see  page  93),  shows  the 
Kishon  under  its  best  aspect,  when  its  waters  are  abundant  after  the  rainy  season,  when  all 
the  winter  torrents  of  the  hills  are  full  and  overflowing.  The  banks  are  fringed  with  oleanders, 
tall  lupins,  and  St.  John's  wort,  and  many  kinds  of  rushes,  reeds,  and  grasses  (see  page  97). 
The  rounded  hill  just  beyond  the  river,  on  page  93,  is  Tell  el  Kassis,  and  farther  away,  at 
the  edge  of  the  oak  forest,  there  is  a  village  (hidden  by  the  tree  in  the  foreground)  called 
Sheikh  Abreik,  famous  for  its  subterraneous  caverns  called  Jehennum  (Gehenna),  which  are 
well  worthy  of  a  visit.  Farther  down  the  river,  at  the  lower  end  of  the  narrow  pass  which 
leads  from  the  plain  of  Esdraelon  to  the  plain  of '  Akka,  there  is  a  village  called  El  Harothieh. 
It  is  on  a  rounded  hill,  or  rather  a  large  mound,  over  which  are  scattered  the  remains  of 
ancient  walls  and  buildings.  It  was  evidently  at  one  time  an  important  fortress,  and  is  said 
to  mark  the  site  of  "  Harosheth  of  the  Gentiles"  (Judges  iv.  16),  the  stronghold  of  Sisera, 
towards  which  his  chariots  and  "his  hosts  were  fleeing  when  "  the  Kishon  swept  them  away  " 
(Judges  v.  21). 

Harothieh  is  rather  more  than  half  a  mile  from  the  Kishon,  which  near  this  point 
approaches  so  close  to  the  steep  slopes  of  Carmel  that  in  some  places  there  is  not  room  for 
more  than  four  or  five  horsemen  to  ride  abreast  with  safety.  It  is  conjectured  that  it  was  at 
this  gradually  narrowing  pass  at  the  foot  of  Carmel,  within  sight  of  Harosheth,  that  the  horses 
and  chariots  of  Sisera's  defeated  army  became  inextricably  crowded  together,  and  trampled 
each  other  down  (Judges  v.  22). 

The  river  on  emerging  from  the  narrow  valley  flows  between  steep  banks  of  rich  loamy 
soil  fifteen  or  sixteen  feet  high,  and  it  is  fordable  only  in  two  places.  There  is  a  ford  not 
far  from  Harothieh.  I  crossed  it  once,  in  October,  when  there  was  very  little  water  flowing ; 
but  the  muddy  bed  of  the  river,  which  at  that  spot  was  about  twenty  feet  wide,  seemed  to  me 
as  if  it  would  swallow  us  up,  and  I  was  very  glad  when  my  good  horse  had  scrambled  up  the 
steep  slippery  bank  on  the  opposite  side  and  landed  me  safely  on  its  summit.  A  serpentine 
line"  of  verdure  marks  the  course  of  the  Kishon  across  the  plain  of  'Akka.  There  is  generally 
a  firm  sand-bar  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kishon  which  can  be  easily  crossed,  though  the  sea 
washes  over  it.  Sometimes,  however,  when  strong  east  winds  sweep  the  bar  away,  a  ferry-boat 
is  used.     Nahr  el  Mukutt'a,  the  modern  name  of  the  Kishon,  signifies  the  "river  of  the  ford," 


ioS 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


and  this  is  the  locally  received  interpretation  of  it ;  the  translation  "  river  of  slaughter,"  which 
has  been  given  by  many  writers,  is,  however,  a  correct  one  verbally. 

But  we  must  return  to  El  Mahrakah,  and  thence  travel  westward  to  Athlit  (see  page  ioo), 
over  the  southern  slopes  of  Carmel,  an  almost  deserted  district  in  which  the  ruins  of  several 


THE  CASTLE   OF  CESAREA. 
A  mediieval  structure,  with  marble  columns  built  transversely  into  the  walls.     In  the  interior  there  are  several  vaulted  chambers.    It  stands  on 

the  ancient  mole  on  the  south  side  of  the  harbour. 


once-flourishing  villages  may  be  recognised.  The  large  blocks  of  hewn  stone  scattered  about 
indicate  that  there  were  many  goodly  habitations  here  in  former  times.  The  only  signs  of 
human  life  we  see  on  our  way  are  some  Bedawin  tents  by  a  stream  in  a  valley,  and  a  few  tents 
of  charcoal-burners  here  and  there  upon  the  hillside. 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


109 


The  range  of  Carmel  at  its 
southern  base  is  about  seven  miles  in 
width.  The  Wady  el  Malih  (Valley 
of  Salt),  which  enters  the  plain  of 
Esdraelon  (see  page  96)  between  Tell 
Kaimun  and  El  Mahrakah,  marks  its 
southern  boundary  (see  map).  The 
spurs  of  Carmel  thence  merge  into  the 
widening  range  of  low  undulating  hills 
called  Belad  er  Ruheh  (the  Breezy 
Land),  composed  of  soft  chalky  soil, 
which  divides  the  great  inland  plain 
of  Esdraelon  from  the  plains  of  the 
coast. 


THE  MARITIME  CITIES  AND 
PLAINS  OF  PALESTINE. 

Nowhere  in  Palestine  do  we  re- 
cognise so  many  indications  of  the 
former  prosperity  of  the  country  as  in 
the  strip  of  coast-land  which  stretches 
from  the  headland  of  Carmel  (see 
page  88)  to  the  port  of  Jaffa  (see  page 
133),  yet  this  is  now  one  of  its  most 
neglected  and  poorly  populated  dis- 
tricts. It  does  not  include  one  modern 
town  or  village  of  importance,  and  its 
once-splendid  cities  and  its  Crusading 
fortresses  are  in  the  last  stages  of 
decay  or  utterly  destroyed.  Never- 
theless, the  route  is  always  interesting. 
We  emerge  from  the  Carmel  hills 
nearly  opposite  to  the  ruins  of  Athllt 
(see  page  100).  Here  the  fertile  but 
scantily  cultivated  coast-plain  is  about 
two  miles  in  width.  It  extends  north- 
ward for  eight  miles,  closed  in  between 

.      nnrrr>,,r     rititrm     r»f      c-inricrrm^      rr>r-\r      Formed  of  granite  and  various  kinds  of  marble  ;  they  are  relics  of  Herod's  city  which 
u     IiailUW      IlUgC     Ol      SailUblOHt.      rOLK.,        were  used  by  me()ia;val  builders  to  strengthen  sea  walls  which  have  now  perished. 

VOL.  III.  Q 


no  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

which  borders  the  seashore,  and  the  western  slopes  of  Carmel.  These  ranges  gradually 
approach  each  other  till  they  almost  meet  at  Tell  es  Semak  (Sycaminum)  at  the  foot  of  the 
headland  of  Carmel  (see  map).  From  this  point  to  Athlit  the  road,  a  very  ancient  one,  on 
which  the  ruts  of  chariot  wheels  may  be  traced  here  and  there,  runs  just  within  the  ridge  of 
rock,  and  the  traveller  only  obtains  occasional  glimpses  of  "  the  Great  Sea  "  through  narrow 
fissures  made  fertile  by  winter  torrents.  The  only  village  in  this,  the  northern  section  of  the 
plain  of  Athlit,  is  Tireh,  whose  inhabitants  are  noted  for  their  turbulence  and  daring.  Its 
houses  of  mud  and  stone  are  clustered  together  at  the  mouth  of  Wady  el  ' Ain  (Valley  of  the 
Spring),  the  central  valley  in  the  western  slopes  of  Carmel,  and  are  surrounded  by  cultivated 
fields  and  orchards*' 

Exactly  opposite  to  Athlit  (Castellum  Peregrinorum)  (see  page  ioo),  the  coast-road  turns 
abruptly  and  passes  through  a  narrow  and  very  ancient  defile,  cut  through  the  broad  ridge  of 
sandstone  rock ;  it  is  just  wide  enough  to  enable  two  horsemen  to  ride  abreast  freely.  There 
are  deep  broad  ruts  in  the  roadway,  made  by  chariot  wheels  many  centuries  ago.  Lintels  at 
each  end  of  this  rock-cut  passage  show  that  it  was  protected  by  gates ;  and  there  are  the 
remains  of  fortifications  on  the  cliffs  above.  From  this  rock-cut  passage  Athlit  probably 
derived  its  mediaeval  name  of  Petra  Incisa.  The  old  chariot-road  from  this  point  runs  outside 
or  west  of  the  sandstone  ridge,  but  there  is  a  narrow  coast  plain,  which  varies  from  half  a  mile 
to  a  mile  in  width,  between  it  and  the  seashore. 

The  fortress  of  Athlit,  which  was  built  by  the  Templars  in  1 218,  on  ancient  foundations 
whose  history  is  unknown,  stands  on  a  rocky  promontory  which  runs  westward  into  the  sea  a 
distance  of  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  There  is  a  shallow  shell-strewn  harbour  on  the  south 
side  (shown  on  page  100),  and  a  rather  deeper  and  much  wider  one  on  the  north  side,  protected 
by  a  reef  of  rocks,  called  by  the  natives  "  Buwabet "  (the  Portals).  A  large  space  of  ground 
adjoining  the  promontory  was  enclosed  by  a  strongly  fortified  wall,  which  can  still  be  traced  ; 
it  starts  from  the  northern  harbour  and  takes  a  southernly  direction  for  eight  hundred  yards, 
and  then  runs  westward  to  the  sea,  a  distance  of  three  hundred  yards.  Portions  of  this  wall, 
which  was  constructed  of  very  large  hewn  stones,  are  still  standing,  but  still  more  of  it  may  be 
seen  in  the  western  wall  of ' Akka,  which  was  almost  entirely  rebuilt  of  stones  carried  away 
from  Athlit  by  Ibrahim  Pasha,  as  related  on  page  79.  Beyond  the  wall  there  was  a  deep 
fosse  through  which  the  sea  formerly  flowed,  thus  entirely  insulating  the  fortress,  which  may  be 
described  as  a  miniature  reproduction  of  the  ancient  Tyre  (see  pages  55  and  56),  and  it  is 
actually  called  Tyre  in  ancient  chronicles  of  the  Crusades. 

The  citadel  of  Athlit  occupies  a  rectangular  space  in  the  centre  of  the  promontory.  Its 
walls,  fifteen  feet  in  thickness  and  thirty  feet  in  height,  are  constructed  of  sandy  and  rather 
porous  limestone  from  a  neighbouring  quarry.  Lieutenant  C.  R.  Conder  observes  that  "  the 
masonry  is  all  drafted  and  in  situ,  whence  it  has  been  supposed  to  be  earlier  work  than  the 
Crusading  erections,  but  the  posterns  of  the  towers  have  pointed  arches"  (see  page  104)  "  in 
drafted  masonry,  identical  with  that  of  the  walls,  showing  that  the  Crusaders  cut  their  own 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


in 


stones  arid  drafted  them."  In  the  south-east  corner  of  the  citadel  are  the  remains  of  a 
magnificent  church,  described  by  early  writers  as  a  decagon,  with  three  apses.  Only  one  apse 
now  remains ;  it  has  pointed  arches  with  sculptured  corbels.  The  roof  was  thrown  down  by 
the  earthquake  of  1837.  Projecting  from  the  north-east  corner  there  are  the  ruins  of  a 
spacious  hall,  called  by  the  natives  El  Karnifeh.     The  eastern  wall  of  the  northern  tower  of 


>'  ,  .■' 


/i 


•-'■:>.'■■  ? . 

-  ■-  .  ^ 


X 


PART  OF  THE   NORTH   WALL   AND   MOAT   OF  CiESAREA. 


The  walls  are  six  feet  in  thickness  and  are  strengthened  by  buttresses  ;  they  are  still  from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  height.    The  moat  is  lined  with 
masonry.    There  are  three  ruined  towers  in  the  north  wall,  two  of  which  are  shown  above. 


Athlit  is  still  standing ;  it  is  eighty  feet  in  height,  and  from  a  distance  it  appears  to  be  a 
complete  structure.  Among  the  ruins  of  the  ancient  town,  which  stood  within  the  citadel, 
modern  houses  and  hovels,  rudely  constructed  of  ancient  materials,  have  sprung  up,  and  are 
inhabited  by  a  poor  and  rather  disreputable  Muhammedan  population.  There  are  extensive 
vaults  beneath  this  site  ;  one,  which  is  divided  into  compartments,  has  been  explored  to  a 

Q  2 


112 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


TOWER  OF  THE   CASTLE   AT  C^SAREA. 
Built  by  the  Crusaders.    It  probably  occupies  the  site  of  "  Strato's  Tower,"  which  was  succeeded  by  the  "  Tower  Drusus  "  of  Herod. 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


"3 


distance  of  two  hundred  and  sixty-four  feet ;  another  very  large  one  has  a  groined  roof  with 
ribbed  arches ;  a  third,  which  is  cemented,  is  said  to  have  been  "  an  oil  vat  capable  of  containing 
two  hundred  and  sixty  thousand  gallons." 

About  half  a  mile  to  the  east  of  the  northern  harbour  of  Athlit  the  Crusaders  had. 
some  time  previously  to  the  year  1 191,  built  a  small  fort  called  Detroit  (the  "  House  of  Narrow 
Ways  ")  on  ancient  foundations  on  the  sandstone  ridge,  at  a  point  where  it  is  seventy-five  feet 
above  the  sea-level,  at  a  short  distance  north  of  the  rock-cut  defile  above  described.  From 
this  "  narrow  way "  it  probably  took  its  name.     The  fort  having  been  greatly  extended  and 


tSur^h- 


REMAINS   OF  A    FORTIFIED    KHAN   AT  MUKHALID. 

A  Saracenic  structure,  which  has  long  been  in  ruins.     It  is  nearly  a  mile  from  the  seashore  and  midway  between  Cassarea  and  Arsuf.    The 

solitary  tree  near  to  it  is  a  well-known  landmark. 


strengthened  by  the  Templars  in  12 18,  it  served  as  an  outpost  for  their  fortress  at  Athlit 
The  courtyard,  within  which  there  is  a  tower,  is  called  Khan  Dustrey,  a  corruption  of  Detroit 
apparently.     On  the  eastern  side,  north  of  the  tower,  there  are  rock-cut  stables. 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  ridge,  not  far  off,  there  is  a  fountain  called  'Ain  ed  Dustrey, 
which  forms  a  tiny  lake,  and  then  finds  its  way  through  a  narrow  valley  to  the  sea.  The  first 
time  I  paused  at  this  place,  a  group  of  goatherds  with  reed  pipes  were  assembled  round  a 
clay  trough  where  their  flocks  were  crowding  to  drink.  It  was  in  the  month  of  September, 
and   the  vegetation  by  the  fountain  and  all  along  the  stream  was  most  luxuriant,  consisting 


ii4  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

chiefly  of  oleanders  and   lupins  in   full   bloom,   mallows,   tall   grasses,   and   large   bushes   of 
arbutus. 

Nothing  is  positively  known  of  the  early  history  of  Athlit,  not  even  its  name.  It  appears 
to  have  been  included  in  the  territory  allotted  to  Manasseh,  from  which  he  could  not  drive  out 
the  inhabitants,  "  for  the  Canaanites  would  dwell  in  the  land,"  though  at  a  later  period  Israel 
became  sufficiently  powerful  to  compel  them  to  pay  tribute  (Judges  i.  27,  28).  • 

So  favourable  a  position  for  a  seaport  town  as  the  promontory  of  Athlit,  with  its  bay 
and  two  natural  harbours,  and  with  springs  and  extensive  quarries  and  fertile  plains  in  its 
immediate  neighbourhood,  could  not  have  been  overlooked  by  the  Phoenicians,  and  the  Greeks 
and  Romans  must  also  have  occupied  it.  But  the  history  of  Athlit  begins  and  ends  with  the 
Crusading  era.  It  is,  however,  recorded  that  the  Crusaders  discovered  ancient  foundations 
both  at  Athlit  and  its  outpost  Detroit,  and  at  the  latter  place  the  builders  found  a  store  of  very 
curious  coins  which  they  could  not  decipher. 

As  already  stated,  the  "  Knights  of  the  Temple  of  Solomon  "  (commonly  called  the 
Knights-Templar)  built  the  fortress  of  Athlit  (see  page  100),  and  it  was  evidently  a  very 
strong  one.  The  Sultan  Muezzin  besieged  it  unsuccessfully  in  the  year  1220,  and  it  was  the 
last  place  held  by  the  Crusaders  in  Palestine.  It  was  finally  subdued  by  the  Sultan  Melek-el- 
Ashraf  Khalil,  son  of  Kalaoun,  after  his  conquest  of  St.  Jean  d'Acre  in  the  year  1291  (refer 
to  page  91). 

From  Athlit  we  journey  southwards  towards  Tanturah  (see  page  105),  a  distance  of  six 
miles  and  a  half.  The  ancient  chariot  road  runs  westward  of  the  range  of  coast-hills,  but  a 
broad  strip  of  sandy  and  marshy  land  separates  it  from  the  seashore.  About  a  third  of  a  mile 
south  of  the  promontory  of  Athlit  (see  page  10 1),  the  shore  line  abruptly  advances  westward 
into  the  sea,  and  thus  forms  the  commodious  little  bay  of  Athlit.  From  this  point,  for  a  mile 
or  more,  the  sandy  and  marshy  coast  plain  is  nearly  a  mile  in  width.  Through  an  opening  in 
the  rocky  hills  on  our  left  we  see  the  fertile  plain  of  Athlit  stretching  to  the  slopes  of  Carmel, 
traversed  diagonally  by  a  footpath  leading  to  the  ruined  site  called  "  El  Mezar  "  (the  Place  of 
Visitation).  The  many  large  caves  near  to  it,  and  a  Muhammedan  sanctuary,  cistern,  and  well, 
attract  the  peasantry,  especially  shepherds  and  goatherds,  to  this  spot.  In  its  neighbourhood 
there  are  wooded  ravines  with  the  pleasantly  suggestive  names  Khallet  Rummaneh  (Pome- 
granate Dale)  and  Khallet  Zeituneh  (Olive-tree  Dale) ;  but  we  must  pursue  our  way  southwards^ 
As  we  approach  Surafend,  a  small  village  four  miles  south  of  Athlit,  built  on  the  crest  of  the 
low  coast  hills,  we  see  signs  of  cultivation.  Instead  of  sand-dunes,  lagoons,  and  marshes,  there 
are  fields  of  sesame,  millet,  and  tobacco  bordering  the  road,  and  little  groups  of  palm-trees 
near  to  the  seashore. 

Half  a  mile  south  of  Surafend,  which  is  famous  for  its  fig-orchards,  there  is  another 
village.  It  is  called  Kefr  Lamm,  and  though  built  on  the  broad  smooth  summit  of  the 
widening  coast  range,  it  is  only  fifty-one  feet  above  the  sea-level.  On  one  occasion,  when  I 
was  travelling  along  the  coast  with  my  brother,  we  spent  a  night  here.     It  was  the  last  week 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE.  115 

in  the  month  of  July,  and  we  approached  the  village  through  fields  of  rapidly  ripening  Indian 
corn  (maize)  and  fruit  and  vegetable  gardens.  The  sheikh  and  all  the  chief  men  came  out  to 
meet  us  with  pleasant  words  of  welcome,  for  we  were  expected  and  well  known  there.  We 
alighted  on  the  outskirts  of  the  village,  which  is  very  compact  and  built  of  sun-dried  bricks  ; 
close  to  it  there  is  a  large  enclosure,  with  buttressed  walls,  built  of  stone,  for  the  protection  of 
flocks  and  herds,  and  for  storage  of  grain  and  fuel.  I  found  my  tent  already  pitched  amid 
little  mountains  of  wheat  and  barley,  near  to  an  extensive  threshing-floor,  where  oxen  were 
busy  treading  out  the  corn. 

Carpets  and  cushions  were  soon  spread  for  us  in  the  open  air,  and  coffee  and  pipes  were 
brought.  The  sheikh  and  the  heads  of  families  sat  opposite  to  us  in  a  half  circle,  while  the 
younger  men  stood  round  or  rested  on  the  heaps  of  wheat  near.  We  were  not  quite  a  mile 
from  the  shore,  and  were  facing  the  sea  and  the  setting  sun.  The  rocky  islands  and  the  ruins 
of  Tanturah  (see  page  105)  could  be  plainly  seen  a  little  way  to  the  south,  and  the  tall  tower 
of  Athlit  appeared  far  away  in  the  north  (see  page  ico).  At  the  moment  when  the  sun 
dropped  down  into  the  sea,  the  imam  (or  village  priest)  rose  and  stood  in  the  middle  of  a 
large  and  newly  swept  threshing-floor  which  was  close  by ;  he  looked  earnestly  towards  the 
south,  and  began  chanting,  in  a  loud  and  sonorous  voice,  the  call  to  prayer — "  God  is  most 
great.  I  testify  that  there  is  no  deity  but  God.  I  testify  that  Muhammed  is  God's  apostle. 
Come  to  prayer.     Come  to  security.     God  is  most  great.     There  is  no  deity  but  God." 

The  sheikh  and  the  elders  who  had  gathered  round  us  immediately  rose  and  assembled  on 
the  threshing-floor  in  a  double  row  behind  the  imam,  who  thus  looked  truly  like  the  leader 
of  the  little  band ;  and  when  he  uttered  the  usual  ejaculations  of  prayer  and  praise,  and  recited 
the  appointed  verses  from  the  Koran,  they  echoed  his  words  and  followed  all  his  movements 
with  precision  and  solemnity,  kneeling  and  bowing  their  faces  to  the  ground,  and  uplifting 
their  hands  and  rising  to  their  feet  with  one  accord.  They  were  joined  by  the  labourers  from 
the  fields  and  neighbouring  threshing-floors  and  by  our  Muhammedan  servants ;  but  some  of 
the  younger  men  who  had  been  talking  with  us  hesitated  at  first  to  attend  to  the  "  call  to 
prayer."  They  looked  at  each  other,  as  if  undecided  what  to  do ;  and  then  at  us,  as  if  they 
were  ashamed  or  thought  it  impolite  to  leave  us.  We  endeavoured,  by  keeping  perfectly  still 
and  silent,  to  make  them  understand  that  we  did  not  wish  or  expect  them  to  neglect  their 
devotions  on  our  account.  Suddenly  they  rose  altogether  and  ranged  themselves  in  a  row  at 
the  edge  of  the  threshing-floor,  and  their  voices  blended  with  the  voices  of  their  fathers  as  they 
cried,  "  God  is  most  great !     .     .     .     May  God  hear  him  who  praiseth  Him  !  " 

No  women  came  forward  to  pray  ;  they  stood  afar  off",  with  their  little  ones,  watching  the 
assembly ;  but  I  do  not  think  that  there  was  one  man  or  youth  of  the  village  who  did  not  join 
in  this  service,  which  lasted  about  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  was  conducted  with  the  greatest 
solemnity. 

Immediately  afterwards  supper  was  served.  A  wooden  bowl,  rather  shallow,  but  about  a 
yard  in  diameter,  filled  with  steaming  rice  boiled  in  butter,  was  placed  on  the  ground  at  a  little 


n6 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


distance  from  us.  Metal  dishes  containing  meat,  eggs,  vegetables,  and  cream  were  added  to 
the  feast,  round  which  the  sheikh,  the  priest,  and  the  elders  of  the  village  assembled.  They 
ate  quickly  and  silently,  dipping  pieces  of  their  thin  leathery  loaves  into  the  dishes  of  fried 
eggs  and  cream,  tearing  the  tender  morsels  of  meat  to  pieces  with  their  fingers,  dipping  their 
hands  together  into  the  mound  of  rice,  and  skilfully  and  neatly  taking  it  up  in  pellets.  When 
they  were  satisfied,  they  retired  one  after  the  other  to  wash  their  hands  and  to  light  their  pipes. 
Their  places  were  quickly  taken  by  the  younger  men  and  boys  in  turn,  and  when  they  had  all 
finished  the  servants  gathered  round,  eating  from  the  same  dishes,  the  simplest  of  which  had 


NEBY   BEN   YAM1N   (TOMB  OF  THE    PROPHET   BENJAMIN). 

A  Muhammedan  shrine  about  half  a  mile  to  the  east  of  Kefr  Saba.    A  well  of  good  water  adjoins  it.    In  the  foreground  a  peasant  is  guiding  a 

primitive  plough  and  a  yoke  of  oxen. 

been  several  times  replenished,  and  the  thin  loaves  of  bread  were  freely  distributed.  Several 
sets  of  people  silently  swallowed  their  supper,  while  we  leisurely  used  our  knives  and  forks. 
The  fragments  that  remained  after  the  feast  were  not  carried  away  until  all  the  men  and  boys 
of  the  village  had  eaten  there,  but  the  women  and  children  ate  elsewhere  and  in  private. 

Coffee  and  pipes  were  again  served,  and  by  star  and  lantern  light  we  sat  talking  with  the 
sheikh  and  a  few  of  the  villagers  till  nearly  nine  o'clock,  when  they  retired.  For  a  little  while 
we  could  see  lanterns  flitting  about,  but  soon  all  was  quiet  and  silent,  and  every  one  was  at 
rest  except  those  who  were  appointed  to  keep  the  night-watch.     Dim  lights  gleamed  from  the 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


117 


half-open  doorways  and  windows  of  every  dwelling,  for  it  is  customary  in  the  East  to  keep  a 
lamp  burning  all  night  in  every  occupied  room.  I  retreated  to  my  tent,  and  my  brother  and 
his  attendants,  wrapped  in  heavy  cloaks,  slept  on  the  hillocks  of  wheat  not  far  off.  At  five 
o'clock  I  rose,  and  from  the  door  of  my  tent  watched  the  sun  rise  over  the  Eastern  hills  and 
suddenly  burnish  the  sea  with  gold.  Soon  all  the  villagers  were  stirring  again.  Coffee  and 
milk  and  bread  and  fruit  were  brought,  and  bright-eyed  children  gathered  round  us  to  have  a 


KEFR   SABA. 

A  straggling  village  consisting  of  houses  built  chiefly  of  sun-dried  bricks,  with  extensive  orchards  to  the  west  and  south  of  it.    It  is  fourteen  miles 
from  Jaffa,  and  is  interesting  inasmuch  as  it  preserves  the  name  of  the  ancient  Caphar  Saba. 

share  of  the  ripe  green  figs.     Then  we  took  leave  of  our  kindly  entertainers  and  pursued 
our  way. 

At  Kefr  Lamm  we  leave  the  ancient  chariot  road  (traces  of  which  are  still  visible)  and 
follow  a  footpath  which  crosses  the  coast  plain  diagonally  to  Tanturah,  a  distance  of  two  miles 
and  a  half.  We  approach  the  seashore  through  a  district  of  disused  quarries,  nameless  tombs, 
ruins,  and  marsh-land.     We  soon  come  to  a  rugged  promontory,  on  which  stands  a  solid  tower 

VOL.   III.  R 


nS  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

thirty  feet  in  height,  formed  of  rubble  faced  with  stone.  The  lower  part  is  crumbling  away. 
It  was  the  corner  block  of  a  fortress  built  here  by  the  Crusaders  (see  page  105).  This  place 
is  now  quite  abandoned,  its  walls  have  fallen,  and  the  cliffs  are  giving  way.  The  modern 
village  of  Tanturah  is  about  half  a  mile  farther  south,  and  stands  on  the  site  of  the  ancient 
Canaanitish  city  of  Dor  (see  Joshua  xvii.  1 1),  but  all  along  the  shore  there  are  columns  and 
capitals,  partly  embedded  in  the  ground,  slabs  of  marble,  and  hewn  stones,  remains  of  the 
Roman  city  Dora.  Women  and  children  may  be  seen  collecting  in  large  baskets  the  coarse 
encrusted  salt,  which  settles  in  the  natural  hollows  and  artificial  basins  of  the  rocks  on  the 
beach  below.  Herds  of  cattle  and  goats,  the  chief  wealth  of  Tanturah,  graze  on  the  coast 
plain,  which  is  here  overgrown  with  thorns  and  thistles,  dwarf  mimosas,  and  low  brushwood. 
The  village  of  Tanturah  consists  of  about  forty  or  fifty  rudely  built  houses,  made  of  irregularly 
piled  blocks  of  anciently  hewn  stone,  fragments  of  broken  columns,  and  masses  of  mud  and 
clay.  On  one  occasion,  in  the  month  of  September,  when  we  were  on  our  way  from  Jaffa  (see 
page  133)  to  Haifa  (see  page  83)  in  an  Arab  sailing-boat,  we  landed  at  Tanturah  to  pursue 
our  journey  by  land,  because  "  the  winds  were  contrary."  It  was  at  the  same  time  of  the  year 
(after  the  Fast  of  the  Atonement,  which  is  kept  on  the  tenth  day  of  Tishri,  or  towards  the  end 
of  September)  that  St.  Paul  was  tossed  about  by  "  contrary  winds  "  on  this  sea,  and  when,  as 
he  said,  "  sailing  was  dangerous  "  (Acts  xxvii.  9). 

We  were  assured  that  the  voyage  from  Jaffa  to  Haifa  by  sea  would  not  occupy  more  than 
eight  or  ten  hours,  and  as  we  were  extremely  anxious  to  arrive  there  as  quickly  as  possible, 
my  brother  made  arrangements  with  the  owner  of  a  little  Arab  sailing-boat  to  convey  us  there, 
with  our  servants  and  baggage.  We  were  ready  and  waiting,  when  at  midnight  he  sent  word 
to  us  that  "  the  wind  was  favourable,"  and  that  he  was  ready  to  sail.  We  hurried  down  to 
the  dark  wharf  accompanied  by  our  kawass  and  my  servant  Katrine,  a  woman  of  Bethlehem, 
and  two  Carmelite  monks  who  had  requested  permission  to  travel  with  us.  The  great  water- 
gate  of  Jaffa  was  opened  for  us,  and  I  was  somehow  dropped  gently  into  a  little  rowing-boat 
far  down  in  the  darkness  below,  where  I  was  taken  charge  of  by  two  sturdy  boatmen.  After 
much  shouting  and  jolting  we  were  all  huddled  together,  and  the  boat  skimmed  rapidly  over 
the  water  to  the  sailing-vessel  which  awaited  us  outside  the  shallow  rock-encircled  harbour, 
and  to  which  with  some  little  difficulty  we  were  transferred.  It  was  divided  into  three  parts — 
the  central  portion  being  like  an  uncovered  hold,  four  feet  deep  and  eight  feet  square.  The 
decks,  fore  and  aft,  were  encumbered  with  ship's  tackle  and  crowded  with  sailors,  who  were 
singing  lustily.  The  hold,  lighted  by  two  lanterns,  was  matted  and  set  apart  for  passengers 
and  luggage.  Our  portmanteaus  and  carpet-bags  served  us  for  a  couch,  and  the  monks  sat  on 
their  saddle-bags,  wrapped  in  their  comfortable-looking  hooded  robes.  Poor  Katrine,  who 
had  never  been  on  the  sea  before,  was  very  much  alarmed.  She  rolled  herself  up  in  her  cloak, 
stretched  herself  full-length  by  my  side,  and  was  happily  soon  fast  asleep.  Our  kawass  smoked 
his  pipe  in  company  with  the  captain  above,  and  an  Italian,  who  had  smuggled  himself  and  his 
mggage  on  board  in  the  hurry  and  darkness,  kept  aloof  with  the  sailors.     The  sky  was  bright 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE.  119 

with  stars,  the  south  wind  was  strong  and  filled  the  sails,  and  by  fits  and  starts  I  dozed  till 
dawn  of  day.  Then  I  roused  myself  and  watched  the  little  group  around  me — the  hooded 
monks  sleeping  soundly,  my  brother  at  my  feet  leaning  against  a  hamper,  and  Katrine  so 
enveloped  that  I  could  not  distinguish  her  head  from  her  heels. 

The  favourable  wind  had  ceased,  and  the  sailors  were  busy  taking  in  sail.  By  the  time 
the  sun  appeared  above  the  low  coast  hills  the  wind  had  shifted  to  the  west,  and  we  were  in 
danger  of  being  driven  on  to  the  rocks.  It  then  suddenly  veered  to  the  north,  and  blew  so 
violently  that  the  captain  was  obliged  to  cast  anchor,  and  we  were  tossed  on  a  heavy  sea  near 
to  a  desolate  coast  where  there  was  no  possibility  of  landing.  By  nine  o'clock  the  sun  was  very 
powerful.  An  awning  made  of  the  now  useless  sails  was  thrown  over  the  hold.  We  found 
our  quarters  far  from  comfortable,  but  we  were  determined  to  make  the  best  of  them,  and 
fortunately  we  were  all  good  sailors.  By  noon  the  heat  was  intense  and  suffocating  in  the  hold, 
so  I  climbed  on  to  the  deck  and  sat  on  a  coil  of  rope,  clinging  to  the  mast.  The  strong  wind 
and  the  sea  spray  revived  me.  We  were  still  at  anchor.  The  coast  opposite  to  us,  which  was 
every  now  and  then  concealed  by  the  high  waves,  was  a  range  of  drifted  sand-hills,  traversed 
by  flocks  of  goats  feeding  on  the  scanty  patches  of  pasture.  Not  a  human  habitation,  not  even 
a  human  being  was  visible,  and  not  a  boat  or  ship  was  seen  all  day. 

In  the  afternoon  the  wind  ceased,  but  the  little  ship  rocked  lazily  from  the  effect  of  the 
sea-swell,  which  had  not  yet  subsided.  My  brother  read  St.  Paul's  voyage  to  me,  as  it  is 
recorded  in  the  twenty-seventh  chapter  of  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles.  It  seemed  to  me  more 
interesting  than  ever.  We  were  not  far  from  Ca^sarea,  the  port  from  which  St.  Paul  em- 
barked (see  page  108). 

At  sunset  "  the  south  wind  blew  softly."  The  sails  were  soon  set,  and  in  better  spirits  we 
sat  down  to  our  evening  meal,  and  shared  our  chickens  and  preserved  soup  with  the  monks  of 
Mount  Carmel,  who  proved  to  be  Very  pleasant  fellow-travellers. 

We  passed  a  dreamy,  restless  night,  "  sailing  slowly,"  and  in  the  morning  were  nearly 
opposite  Tanturah.  The  wind  had  changed  to  the  north-east,  so  my  brother  insisted  on 
"landing.  We  tacked  about,  put  out  to  sea,  and  then  allowed  the  strong  wind  to  drive  us 
towards  the  picturesque  coast  (see  page  105).  Little  islands  of  rock  and  mounds  of  ancient 
masonry  stood  out  before  it,  beaten  by  the  waves.  With  some  manoeuvring  the  boat  was 
brought  safely  to  the  beach,  where  there  were  plenty  of  Tanturah  men  to  meet  us  and  carry  us 
through  the  surf  to  the  smooth  yellow  sands. 

I  was  delighted  to  find  myself  on  firm  land  again,  and  I  shall  always  remember  St  Paul's 
advice  to  the  centurion,  and  vote  against  sailing  in  the  Levant  in  an  Arab  boat  during  the 
equinoctial  gales. 

The  custom-house  officer,  Abu  Habtb  (an  intelligent  and  very  well-informed  man,  who 
was  afterwards  our  neighbour  at  Haifa),  came  to  meet  us.  He  guided  us  to  his  house,  which 
consisted  of  one  large  square  room  lined  with  clay,  and  roofed  with  tree-branches  blackened 
with  smoke.      One  half  of  the  ceiling  was  concealed  by  matting,  and   the   other   half  was 

r  2 


120 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


picturesque  with  pendant  branches.  Small  square  holes  served  as  windows,  and  the  roughly 
made  door  was  a  portable  one.  A  narrow  mattress  occupied  one  side  of  the  room,  and  served 
as  a  divan  by  day  and  sleeping  place  by  night.     Large  water  jars,  metal  dishes,  and  cooking 


utensils  stood  against  the  opposite 
wall.  There  was  a  cooking  place 
in  one  corner  formed  of  large  an- 
ciently cut  stones  and  burnt  clay ; 
here  a  charcoal  fire  was  burning. 
Baskets  of  coarse  salt. from  the 
seashore  were  placed  near  it. 
Habib,  the  eldest  son  of  our  host 
(and  the  only  member  of  the 
family     residing     with     him     at 

TantAraM       nrpnimrl      o/-.ff  f         Now  called  KM'at  Ras  el 'Ain,  built  by  the  Crusaders  before  the  year  1 149.     It  is  now  a 

J.  duiuidllj,      prepared      COnee      IOr  mereshell  and  encloses  a  large  space  of  ground,  in  the  centre  of  which  stands  a 


THE    CASTLE    OF    MIRABEL. 


US 


small  mosque. 


in   our   presence    he  roasted 
the  berries,  and  then  pounded  them  in  a  stone  mortar.     A  very  large  wooden  box,  like  an 
ancient  muniment  chest,  with  ornamental    lock   and   hinges  of  wrought-iron,  stood   near  to 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


121 


the  open  doorway,  and  upon  this  I  rested.      Gaunt-looking  women,  partly  hiding  their  faces  with 
their  tattered  white  cotton  veils,  peeped  at  us,  and  dirty  but  pretty  children  came  crowding  round. 


1   TL*-«*J^ 

Mi                 ! 

Alt 

■ 
If  IB  P<                  ^wML'^'s 

■  .  ■ 

t 

F 

f  1 

*#    tig 

^.^    ;       _= ----- -— - 

■  11 

Illte    J^m 

^Y'iS 

i 

*       *'      *  hfft                ^¥^W^^;* 

^|pli]| 

P**! 

'■'  :i 

; 

^    .,;     '■-  —  .     .      :■  ■- 

V 

* 

1 

Mr 

\ 

'  *          -             '  "■?." 

.a,      '  -     •                   ^ v 

&.| 

1%     -'v*      *-.t 

-      ,  <   ft     '    . 

llfetl ; 

;. 

THE   NAHR   EL  AUJEH    FROM    KUL'AT   RAs   EL   'AIN. 

The  river  rises  out  of  the  earth  in  several  copious  streams  at  the  foot  of  the  mound  on  which  the  castle  stands.    This  mound  has  been 

satisfactorily  identified  as  the  site  of  Antipatris. 

Katrine  (who  had  never  been  so  far  from  Bethlehem  before)  was  in  the  meantime  making 
a  tour  of  the  town,  and  presently  she  returned  and  led  me  without  any  hesitation  to  the  house 


1 2  2  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

which  appeared  to  her  to  be  the  cleanest  and  neatest  in  the  place.  Her  confidence  in  the  ready 
hospitality  of  the  people  was  fully  justified.  The  women  of  the  house  received  me  with  pleasant 
words  of  welcome,  and  led  me  to  an  inner  room,  the  divan  of  which  had  been  recently  renovated, 
and  there  I  gladly  rested  until  horses  were  procured  for  us  and  we  were  enabled  to  proceed  on 
our  journey  to  Haifa. 

Dor,  "tin,  a  royal  Canaanitish  city  (and  probably  the  most  southernly  settlement  of  the 
Phoenicians  in  Palestine),  was  "with  her  towns"  allotted  to  "  the  children  of  Manasseh,"  but 
they  could  not  expel  the  original  inhabitants,  "  the  Canaanites  would  dwell  in  the  land " 
(Joshua  xvii.  12).  However,  in  the  time  of  Solomon,  "the  region  of  Dor"  was  compelled  to 
furnish  provisions  for  the  King  and  for  his  household  during  one  month  in  every  year,  under 
the  superintendence  of  Ben-Abinadab,  who  married  the  Princess  Taphath,  a  daughter  of 
Solomon,  and  who  was  one  of  the  King's  twelve  purveyors  (1  Kings  iv.  11).  This  was  a  very 
large  tribute,  and  to  provide  it  the  region  of  Dor  must  have  been  rich  in  flocks  and  herds,  and 
very  highly  cultivated,  for"  Solomon's  provision  for  one  day  was  thirty  measures  of  fine  flour,  and 
threescore  measures  of  meal,  ten  fat  oxen,  and  twenty  oxen  out  of  the  pastures,  and  an  hundred 
sheep,  beside  harts,  and  roebucks,  and  fallow-deer,  and  fatted  fowl"  (1  Kings  iv.  22,  23).  On 
the  hillside  just  opposite  to  Tanturah,  beyond  the  "  Vale  of  Dor,"  there  is  a  spring  called 
'Ain  Ghuzal  (the  Fountain  of  the  Gazelle),  which  indicates  that  these  graceful  animals  were 
numerous  there  formerly.  A  specimen  of  the  fallow-deer  has  been  recently  found  on  Mount 
Carmel.  When  these  hills  were  well  wooded  it  was  probably  not  very  difficult  for  the  people 
of  Dor  to  contribute  a  good  supply  of  game  to  King  Solomon's  table.  Dor  was  evidently  a 
strong  and  important  city  in  the  time  of  the  Seleucidae.  It  is  related  in  1  Maccabees  xv.  that 
Diodotus,  surnamed  Tryphon  (the  murderer  of  Jonathan  Maccabseus  and  of  Antiochus  VI., 
and  the  usurper  of  the  throne  of  Syria),  "being  pursued  by  King  Antiochus  VII.  (surnamed 
Sidetes),  fled  to  Dora,  Au>pa,  which  lieth  by  the  seaside,  for  he  saw  that  trouble  came  upon  him 
all  at  once  and  that  his  forces  had  forsaken  him." 

"  Then  camped  Antiochus  against  Dora,  having  with  him  an  hundred  and  twenty  thousand 
men  of  war  and  eight  thousand  horsemen.  And  when  he  had  compassed  the  city  round  about, 
and  joined  ships  close  to  the  town  on  the  seaside,  he  vexed  the  city  by  land  and  by  sea  .... 
assaulting  it  constantly."  Thus  the  city  was  almost  destroyed  about  the  year  139  b.c. 
"  Tryphon  fled  by  ship  to  Orthosias,"  north  of  Tripoli  (see  page  9),  and  he  soon  afterwards 
either  committed  suicide  or  was  killed  by  King  Antiochus,  who  "pursued  him." 

Josephus  relates  in  his  "Antiquities  of  the  Jews,"  book  xiv.,  ch.  5,  that  when  Gabinius 
Aulus  "  came  from  Rome  to  Syria  as  commander  of  the  Roman  forces,"  he  caused  Dor  and 
many  other  cities,  "which  had  been  demolished  "  and  had  "  been  desolate  for  a  long  time"  to  be 
rebuilt,  b.c.  64. 

There  are  many  autonomous  coins  of  Dora  in  existence,  but  they  are  chiefly  undated. 
The  imperial  coinage  of  Dora  ranges  from  Caligula,  a.d.  39,  to  Heliogabalus,  a.d.  222.  The 
commonest  types  are  a  female  figure  or  bust  veiled,  with  a  turreted  crown  ;  and  a  head  of  Jupiter 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE.  123 

with  a  laurel-wreath.  Dora  became  an  episcopal  city  in  the  province  of  Palestina  Prima,  but 
it  did  not  long  enjoy  this  dignity,  for  St.  Jerome,  who  died  at  Bethlehem  (see  page  131,  vol.  i.) 
in  the  year  422,  describes  Dora  as  a  city  already  in  ruins  and  utterly  deserted,  but  still  worthy 
of  admiration.  Out  of  these  ruins  at  a  later  period  grew  a  station  of  the  Crusaders,  of  which 
only  a  fragment  remains,  while  the  shore  is  strewn  with  relics  of  the  Roman  city  (see  page  105). 
On  leaving  Tanturah  we  reapproach  the  coast  road,  which  is  here  about  three-quarters  of  a 
mile  from  the  shore  and  close  to  the  low  sandstone  hills.  Through  an  opening  in  the  range  we 
see  the  shrub-dotted  western  slopes  of  Belad  er  Ruheh  beyond  the  plain  of  Tanturah,  or, 
as  it  may  be  called,  the  "  Vale  of  Dor,"  which  is  here  about  two  miles  in  width,  and  is  sometimes 
partially  cultivated  as  far  south  as  the  Nahr  ed  Dufleh  (see  map),  but  more  frequently  it  is  made 
desolate  by  the  incursions  of  the  Bedawin.  No  neglect,  however,  can  destroy  the  beauty  of 
this  district  in  the  early  spring-time,  when  for  a  brief  period  all  the  uncultivated  ground  is 
carpeted  with  verdure  and  with  wild  flowers  of  the  most  brilliant  colours. 

Exactly  opposite  Tanturah  a  footpath  crosses  the  plain  diagonally  and  leads  south-east  to 
a  little  double  village  called  El  Fureidis  (Paradise),  nestled  at  the  mouth  of  a  winding  valley 
which  comes  down  from  the  summit  of  Belad  er  Ruheh,  and  at  the  head  of  which  stands  the 
village  called  Dalieh  er  Ruheh  (the  Trained  Vine  of  the  Breezy  Land),  seven  hundred  and 
twenty-eight  feet  above  the  sea  (refer  to  page  103).  Lower  down  in  this  valley  there  is  a 
village  surrounded  by  orchards  called  U'mm  et  Tut  (Mother  of  Mulberries). 

But  we  must  pursue  our  way  southwards  by  the  coast  plain,  which  is  here  sandy  and  marshy 
and  quite  uncultivated.  We  pass  many  ruined  and  nameless  sites,  probably  representing  "  the 
towns  of  Dor"  (Joshua  xvii.  11).  We  soon  cross  Nahr  ed  Dufleh  (River  of  Oleanders)  and 
then  hasten  onwards  to  the  Nahr  ez  Zerka  (the  Blue  River),  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
broad  Plain  of  Sharon  (see  map).  Between  these  two  rivers  the  Plain  or  Vale  of  Dor  is 
narrowed  by  the  advance  westward  of  a  bold  mountain  spur  called  El  Khashm,  and  here, 
through  neglect  of  the  ancient  system  of  drainage,  it  has  degenerated  into  marsh-land.  The 
Nahr  ez  Zerka  is  easily  -crossed  where  the  old  road  intersects  it,  about  a  mile  inland  ;  but  on  one 
occasion,  in  the  month  of  July,  we  and  some  fellow-travellers  forded  it  close  to  the  seashore, 
though  not  without  some  difficulty,  for  the  river  was  broad,  deep,  and  rapid,  and  there  was  no 
one  to  guide  us  to  the  easiest  fording-place.  A  few  hours  sometimes  make  a  great  difference 
in  the  character  of  the  mouth  of  a  river — the  wind  may  entirely  carry  away  the  sand-bar  or 
change  its  position.  Our  kawass  made  many  experiments  before  he  found  a  safe  path  for  us, 
which  we  traversed  cautiously  one  after  the  other  in  single  file,  and  landed  on  the  opposite  side 
very  wet  and  chilly.  On  the  south  side  of  the  river,  close  to  the  seashore,  there  is  a  ruined 
castle  called  El  Melat,  apparently  an  outpost  of  Csesarea,  and  a  little  way  to  the  north  of  the 
river  there  are  a  few  rocky  islands  of  the  same  name,  Jezirat  el  Melat. 

The  Nahr  ez  Zerka  was  anciently  known  as  the  Crocodile  River,  and  it  is  so  called 
by  Pliny.  According  to  common  report  it  is  still  entitled  to  that  name.  Many  people 
living  on  the  coast  have  assured  me  that  they  have  seen  crocodiles  here,  but  it  is  admitted 


I24 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


SACRED    TREE    CALLED    SHEIKH    ET   TEIM. 
South  of  the  extensive  mound  of  ruins  and  tombs  known  to  the  Arabs  as 
Tibneh,  but  which  has  long  been  regarded  as  the  site  of  Timnath  Sera, 
the  city  of  Joshua. 

that  they  are  now  rare ;  a  dried  specimen  of  one, 
three  feet  in  length,  said  to  have  been  caught  here, 
was  shown  to  me  at  'Akka.  The  celebrated  tra- 
veller, Richard  Pococke,  who  was  in  Palestine  in  the 
year  1738,  says  that  he  was  "credibly  informed  that 
there  were  crocodiles  in  the  river,"  and  adds,  "  they 

say  that  the  crocodiles  are  small,  not  above  five  or  six  feet  in  length,  but  that  they  have 

taken  some  young  cattle  that  were  standing  in  the  river." 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


"5 


Tradition  says  that  the  Nahr  ez  Zerka  crocodiles 
were  brought  into  the  country  by  Egyptian  colonists  at 
a  very  early  period  :  the  Arabs  of  the  district,  however, 
relate  the  following  fable,  which  professes  to  give  a 


THE   TRADITIONAL  TOMB   OF  JOSHUA, 

In  the  rock  cemetery  at  Tibneh.  In  the  niches  in  its  walls  pil- 
grims placed  lighted  lamps,  and  their  great  number  indicates 
that  it  was  a  highly  revered  shrine. 


circumstantial  account  of  their  first  intro- 
duction into  the  river  : — 

"  In  ancient  times  an  old  man  and  his 
two  sons  dwelt  upon  the  banks  of  the  Nahr 
ez  Zerka,  and  they  fed  their  flocks  in  the 
green  pastures  of  the  plain.  And  the  old 
man  died,  leaving  to  his  two  sons  his 
hidden  treasure  and  his  flocks  and  herds. 


VOL.  Ill 


126  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

"  Now  the  younger  son  was  industrious  and  prudent,  and  his  wealth  increased  greatly. 
The  elder  one  was  profligate  and  idle,  and  he  became  poor.  In  his  poverty  he  looked 
with  jealous  anger  on  the  rich  flocks  and  herds  of  his  brother,  and  considered  in  his  heart  how 
he  might  destroy  them.  He  journeyed  to  Egypt,  and  thence  brought  some  young  crocodiles, 
and  having  secretly  placed  them  in  the  river,  he  went  to  a  distant  country.  His  hope  was 
that  his  brother's  flocks  would  be  devoured  on-  going  to  drink,  or  while  feeding  on  the 
banks.  He  did  not  know  that  his  brother,  having  been  warned  of  coming  danger  in  a  dream, 
no  longer  watered  his  flocks  there. 

"  Now  after  a  time  the  elder  brother  returned  to  this  place,  and  he  went  down  to  the  river- 
side to  wash  his  feet,  without  taking  thought  of  the  danger  which  he  in  his  wickedness  had 
spread  there.  The  crocodiles  swiftly  approached  him,  and  seized  upon  him  and  destroyed  him. 
Such  was  the  will  of  God,  and  thus  the  wicked  fall  into  the  nets  which  they  spread  for  their 
neighbours." 

Stories  or  fables  of  this  kind  are  often  very  appositely  introduced  in  ordinary  conversation, 
to  point  a  moral  or  give  force  to  an  argument,  or  to  administer  an  indirect  rebuke  to  a 
superior.  The  versions  of  such  stories  naturally  vary  slightly  according  to  the  circumstances 
under  which  they  are  related. 

It  is  probable  that  the  ancient  city  called  Crocodilon  was  situated  near  to  the  Nahr  ez 
Zerka.  Strabo,  who  died  in  a.d.  24,  speaks  of  it  as  one  of  the  many  cities  of  the  coast  of 
Palestine  which  in  his  time  existed  only  in  name.  From  the  Nahr  ez  Zerka  the  Plain  of 
Sharon  extends  southwards  to  the  Nahr  er  Rubin,  a  distance  of  forty-four  miles  (see  map). 

The  northern  section  between  Nahr  ez  Zerka  and  Nahr  Iskanderuneh,  nine  miles  from 
north  to  south,  averages  eight  miles  in  width  :  the  greater  part  of  it  is  either  marshy  or 
encumbered  with  drifting  sand  dunes.  It  is  a  district  of  deserted  ruins,  and  is  haunted 
by  the  Bedawin,  who  occasionally  cultivate  some  patches  of  land  here,  and  reap  scanty  crops 
of  wheat  and  barley  (see  page  1 1 1). 

This  desolate-looking  region,  however,  includes  a  winding  water-course  called  Nahr 
Mefjlr,  to  the  north  of  which  there  is  an  oak  forest  nearly  nine  miles  in  circumference,  near 
to  the  eastern  hills,  which  are  bordered  by  a  strip  of  rich  alluvial  soil.  Here  there  are 
a  few  insignificant  villages,  with  small  plots  of  cultivated  land  around  them. 

Groups  of  sarcophagi  and  mounds  of  ruins,  representing  ancient  towns  or  comparatively 
modern  villages,  are  numerous ;  and  by  the  seashore,  midway  between  the  Nahr  ez  Zerka 
and  the  Nahr  Mefjlr,  a  vast  expanse  of  ground  is  covered  with  the  almost  indistinguishable 
debris  of  Herod's  once^splendid  city  of  Czesarea  Sebaste,  so  named  in  honour  of  Augustus ; 
and  within  this  area,  in  a  central  position  close  to  the  seashore  (occupying,  however,  only 
about  one-tenth  of  the  space  included  within  the  walls  of  the  Roman  city),  stand  the  ruins 
of  the  Crusading  city  which  succeeded  it. 

C/esarea  Sebaste  was  built  on  the  site  of  a  place  called  Strato's  Tower,  and  is  minutely 
described  by  Josephus.     It  was  planned  and  completed  by  King  Herod  the  Great  within  the 


w 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE.  127 

short  space  of  ten  or  twelve  years,  and  was  inaugurated  with  great  pomp  and  splendour  in  the 
twenty-eighth  year  of  his  reign,  b.c.  12.  There  were  musical  performances,  public  games, 
single  combats,  and  combats  with  wild  beasts  ;  horse  races  also,  and  "  such  sports  and  shows  as 
used  to  be  exhibited  at  Rome  and  other  places." 

The  multitude  of  people  who  came  to  the  city  to  witness  its  inauguration  were  entertained 
in  public  inns  and  at  public  tables ;  and  Herod  ordered  that  the  festival  should  be  celebrated 
every  five  years,  in  honour  of  Augustus  Caesar,  to  whom  the  city  was  dedicated.  "It  contained 
sumptuous  palaces  and  splendid  edifices,  all  built  of  white  stone  brought  from  a  distance,"  now 
represented  by  shapeless  mounds,  fallen  columns,  and  dislocated  masses  of  masonry. 

There  was  a  theatre  of  stone,  and  in  the  south  quarter  "  an  amphitheatre  also,  capable 
of  holding  a  vast  number  of  men,  and  conveniently  situated  for  a  prospect  of  the  sea." 

But  tho  greatest  work  was  the  harbour,  which  had  a  double  station  for  ships,  and  which 
Josephus  compares  to  the  Piraeus  at  Athens.  Its  mole,  the  ruins  of  which  still  exist,  extending  a 
great  distance  into  the  sea  on  the  southern  side  of  the  harbour  (see  page  108),  was  constructed 
of  huge  stones,  and  was  originally,  according  to  Josephus,  "  two  hundred  feet  wide.  One  half 
was  left  as  a  breakwater,  but  the  other  half  had  upon  it  a  wall  with  several  towers,  the  largest  of 
which  was  named  Drusus,  after  a  son-in-law  of  Caesar,  who  died  young."  The  great  blocks 
of  granite  and  the  marble  columns  lying  in  the  water  are  no  doubt  fragments  of  these  structures. 
There  were  vaulted  hostelries  for  the  sailors  and  a  terraced  walk  all  round  the  harbour,  where 
stood,  on  an  elevation,  a  temple  of  polished  stone,  which  could  be  seen  from  a  great  distance, 
and  wherein  were  two  statues,  one  of  Rome  and  one  of  Caesar.  Of  this  temple  a  portion  of  the 
foundation  wall  remains,  and  Lieutenant  Conder  says  "  its  white  stones  contrast  with  the  brown 
sandstone  blocks  of  the  later  builders,  and  attest  Josephus's  accuracy  in  describing  the  materials 
as  brought,  at  great  expense,  from  a  distance."  There  are  a  great  number  of  prostrate 
columns  in  the  sea,  upon  a  reef  on  the  north  side  of  the  harbour  (see  page  109). 

Caesarea  soon  became  the  most  important  city  in  Palestine,  and  its  chief  port.  It  was 
the  official  residence  of  the  Herodian  kings  and  of  the  Roman  procurators. 

Repeated  mention  is  made  of  Caesarea  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  especially  in 
connection  with  St.  Paul,  who  visited  this  place  several  times,  and  was  detained  here  in  prison 
for  two  years.  At  Caesarea,  Vespasian  was  declared  Emperor,  a.d.  70,  and  he  bestowed  upon 
the  city  the  privileges  of  a  Roman  colony.  The  imperial  coinage  of  Caesarea  extends  from 
the  reign  of  Augustus  Caesar  (from  whom  the  city  derived  its  name)  to  Gallienus,  a.d.  268. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  third  century  Caesarea  was  created  a  bishopric,  and  was  soon 
afterwards  famous  for  its  public  school,  in  which  for  a  time  Origen  taught. 

Eusebius,  the  celebrated  ecclesiastical  historian,  was  Bishop  of  Caesarea  early  in  the  fourth 
century,  and  towards  its  close  the  city  was  visited  by  Sta.  Paula,  the  friend  of  Jerome.  It  is 
recorded  that  she  saw  the  house  of  the  centurion  Cornelius,  which  had  been  converted  into  a 
church,  and  the  house  of  Philip,  with  the  chambers  of  his  four  daughters.  In  the  sixth  century 
the  Greek  historian  Procopius  was  established  here  as  professor  of  rhetoric. 

s  2 


128 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


After  the  Muhammedan  conquest 
of  Palestine,  early  in  the  seventh  cen- 
tury, Csesarea  continued  to  be  a  wealthy 
and  important  city,  and  Baldwin  I.,  who 
gained  possession  of  it  in  a.d.  iioi, 
after  a  siege  of  fifteen  days,  found  great 
treasures  within  its  walls.  The  "  Sacro 
Catino,"  preserved  in  the  treasury  of 
S.  Lorenzo  at  Genoa,  formed  part  of 
this  plunder.  It  is  a  transparent  green 
tazza  of  hexagonal  form,  slightly  orna- 
mented, and  was  said  to  have  been 
used  for  the  distribution  of  wine  at 
"  the  Last  Supper,"  on  which  account  it 
was  held  sacred.  It  was  long  believed" 
to  be  an  emerald,  but  experts  have 
decided  that  it  is  a  remarkable  speci- 
men of  ancient  glass.  This  treasured 
tazza  was  the  "  holy  grail  "  of  mediaeval 
romance.   Caesarea  was  on  this  occasion 


LANDING   AT   JAFFA. 
This  is  always  attended  with  difficulty,  as  there  is  no  harbour  for  large  vessels  at  Jaffa.     Steamers  are  obliged  to  anchor  in  the  roadstead  about 

half  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and  passengers  are  landed  in  small  Arab  boats. 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


129 


raised  to  an  archbishopric.  The  city  was 
subsequently  regained  by  the  Muham- 
medans,  to  be  reconquered,  however,  and 
rebuilt  by  the  Crusaders.  The  fortress 
(see  pages  108  and  112)  and  walls  of  the 
Crusading  city  (see  page  111)  are  said  to 
date  from  the  year  1218,  but  they  were 
repaired  and  strengthened  by  Louis  IX. 
in  1 25 1.  Finally  the  Sultan  Bibars  con- 
quered and  destroyed  the  city  in  the  year 
1269,  and  it  has  remained  in  ruins  ever  ^. 
since. 

The  buttressed  and  moated  walls  were 
formed  of  well-hewn  blocks  of  sandstone, 
and  they  are  still  in  many  places  from 
twenty  to  thirty  feet  in  height  (see  page 
111).  They  enclose  an  extensive  rectangular 
space,  within  which  thorns  and  thistles  grow 


THE   MOSQUE   AT  JAFFA. 

A  modern  structure  in  the  north-east  quarter  of  the  town.     It  can  be  easily  distinguished  in  the  general  view  of  Jaffa  (see  steel  plate),   where  it 

appears  between  the  masts  of  the  Arab  fishing-boats. 


i3o  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

among  fallen  columns  and  huge  masses  of  masonry,  where,  in  succession,  palaces  and  forums, 
Roman  temples,  synagogues,  Byzantine  basilicas,  mosques,  and  mediaeval  churches  have  stood. 
The  foundation  of  the  cathedral  can  be  traced,  and  near  to  the  edge  of  the  low  cliffs  there  are 
the  remains  of  a  church  of  the  Crusading  era,  consisting  of  its  three  apses  and  four  massive 
buttresses,  which  stand  erect  and  firm,  though  the  walls  they  were  intended  to  support  fell  long 
ago.  (They  are  shown  in  the  steel  engraving.)  I  once  spent  an  hour  or  two  here  quite  alone, 
while  my  fellow-travellers  and  our  attendants  were  all  wisely  sleeping  or  resting,  during  the 
mid-day  hours  of  a  midsummer  day,  in  a  shady  place  by  the  seashore.  I  mounted  the  low  cliff 
and  wandered  among  the  ruins.  Not  a  human  being  was  visible,  and  I  shall  never  forget  the 
impression  which  the  solitude  and  silence  and  utter  desolation  of  this  place  made  upon  me. 
There  are  a  few  cisterns,  but  only  one  shallow  well  of  brackish  water,  within  the  walls ;  but 
the  Roman  city  was  evidently  well  supplied.  There  are  traces  of  a  low-level  aqueduct,  which 
brought  water  from  Nahr  ez  Zerka,  and  fragments  remain  of  a  high-level  conduit,  which 
crossed  the  marshes  on  arches  of  fine  masonry,  and  conveyed  spring  water  from  the  main  source 
of  the  Zerka,  in  the  distant  hills. 

On  the  sandy  shore  south  of  the  mole  (see  page  108)  I  gathered  beautiful  pale  yellow  sea 
poppies  and  prickly  sea  holly,  and  found  some  good  specimens  of  white  and  yellow-tinted 
opercula,  but  no  perfect  shells,  though  the  shore  was  strewn  with  broken  ones.  The  Arabs 
call  these  ruins  Kaiseriyeh,  thus  preserving  the  name  of  the  city  in  its  Greek  form,  Kaurapaa. 

From  Caesarea  we  pursue  our  way  southwards  along  the  seashore,  presently  crossing  the 
bed  of  the  Wady  Mefjir  (called  by  some  writers  Nahr  Akhdar),  and  hastening  onwards  to  a 
rocky  point  of  land  which  forms  a  small  harbour,  where  there  is  a  rude  landing-place  for  Arab 
boats,  called  the  Minet,  or  port,  of  Abu  Zabura.  It  is  near  to  the  river  Iskanderuneh 
(Alexander),  to  which  it  gives  its  more  popular  name  of  Nahr  Abu  Zabura  (see  map).  This 
river  in  the  summer  time  has  not  sufficient  force  to  reach  the  sea,  but  forms  a  shallow  lake  not 
far  from  it. 

At  this  point  we  leave  the  seashore  and  ascend  the  cliff  of  the  broad  sandstone  ridge  on 
our  left.  The  first  village  we  come  to  is  Mukhalid,  standing  near  to  the  high  road  about 
a  mile  from  the  edge  of  the  cliffs,  midway  between  the  river  Iskanderuneh  and  Nahr  el  Falik 
(see  map).  It  is  the  centre  of  the  melon-growing  district.  I  was  here  once  with  my  brother 
at  the  commencement  of  the  melon  harvest.  We  approached  this  place  at  about  half-past 
seven  one  July  morning.  A  lively  picture  of  Arab  life  was  before  us.  All  along  the  coast, 
between  the  road  and  the  edge  of  the  cliff,  as  far  as  we  could  see,  north  and  south,  there  were 
beds  of  various  kinds  of  melons;  and  groups  of  dusky  peasants  in  white  shirts,  with  leathern 
girdles  and  large  white  turbans,  were  busily  engaged  gathering  them  and  building  them  up 
in  pyramids.  Hundreds  of  camels  were  there  too,  some  walking  away  well  laden,  others 
kneeling  patiently  while  their  panniers  were  being  filled  with  the  bulky  fruit.  White  tents 
were  pitched  here  and  there  in  the  melon  gardens :  they  were  the  tents  of  the  tax-gatherers, 
who  had  come  to  claim  the  tribute  of  the  melon  harvest. 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


J3i 


We  alighted  in  the  midst  of  these  scenes,  and  rested  for  a  little  while  under  the  spreading 
branches  of  the  solitary  tree  which  is  shown  on  page  1 1 3,  We  were  about  a  mile  from  the 
edge  of  the  cliffs.  Looking  westward  beyond  the  melon  gardens,  we  could  see  a  broad  strip  of 
the  sunlit  Mediterranean,  and  a  little  fleet  of  Arab  boats  was  sailing  towards  the  north.  The 
melon  gardens  are  by  no  means  picturesque.  The  large  rough  melon  leaves  lie  flat  upon  the 
ground,  which  looked  as  if  it  were  strewn  with  green  and  yellow  marbles  fit  for  giants  to  play 
with.  There  were  no  hedges  or  trees  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  view,  but  the  busy 
labourers  gave  life  to  it.  The  various  plots  of  ground  were  divided  by  deep  furrows,  in  which 
thorns  and  thistles  flourished,  but  they  scarcely  appeared  above  the  level  of  the  sandy  soil. 


SHITTIM   TREE   AT  JAFFA, 
In  the  Muhammedan  cemetery  north  of  the  town,  close  to  the  sea.    Represented  at  the  hour  of  sunset,  the  time  of  evening  prayer. 


We  wished  to  buy  a  few  melons,  but  the  overseer  of  the  labourers  told  us  that  we  might  take 
as  many  as  we  liked,  though  he  could  not  sell  them  except  by  hundreds. 

Some  of  the  laden  camels  were  journeying  southwards,  but  the  greater  number  were 
engaged  in  carrying  the  fruit  down  to  the  port  of  Abu  Zabura,  where  it  was  transferred  to 
Arab  sailing  boats.  After  a  refreshing  rest  we  rode  through  miles  and  miles  of  melon  ground. 
Wherever  the  land  in  this  district  is  left  uncultivated  or  fallow,  the  wild  colocynth  or 
coloquintida  (J1=A=-,  hansal)  springs  up  plentifully.  This  fruit,  which  is  intensely  bitter,  was, 
on  an  average,  three  inches  in  diameter,  and  almost  as  hard  as  a  stone,  with  a  smooth 
green,  white,  and  yellow  rind  marked  like  fine  marble.  Some  ancient  beads  of  Phoenician 
glass  which  I  have  seen  appear  to  have  been  made  in  imitation  of  this  fruit.     We  filled  one  of 


1 32  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

our  saddle  bags  with  it,  for  it  is  only  regarded  by  the  Arabs  as  a  weed.  Squills,  too,  grow 
luxuriantly  here,  but  they  are  ploughed  up  and  destroyed. 

The  village  of  Mukhalid  apparently  derives  its  name  from  a  neighbouring  and  highly- 
revered  Muhammedan  sanctuary,  dedicated  to  Sitti  Saba  Umm  Khalid  (the  lady  Saba,  mother 
of  Khalid). 

The  fortified  khan  of  Mukhalid  is  a  good  example  of  Saracenic  architecture,  but  it  has 
long  been  in  ruins.  The  fragments  of  glass  and  hard  pottery  found  near  it  indicate  that  this 
site  was  occupied  at  an  early  period,  but  nothing   has  yet  been  ascertained  of  its  history. 


THE  TRADITIONAL   HOUSE   OF   SIMON    THE   TANNER. 

A  Muhammedan  sanctuary.    On  the  south  side  of  the  court  of  the  house  there  is  an  arched  recess,  in  which  a  lamp  is  always  kept  burning,  and 

where  pilgrims  perform  their  devotions.    A  well  of  good  water  and  a  fine  fig-tree  add  to  the  attractions  of  this  "  place." 


From  the  eastern  brow  of  the  sandstone  ridge,  near  to  Mukhalid,  there  is  a  fine  panoramic  view, 
extending  from  the  headland  of  Carmel  to  Jaffa.  Looking  due  east,  we  see  the  beautiful  hills  of 
Samaria  (Har-Ephraim),  beyond  the  plain  of  Sharon,  the  surface  of  which  is  here  diversified  by 
a  central  range  of  low,  scantily  wooded  hills,  which  run  southwards  and  terminate  in  an  oak 
forest,  the  remains  of  the  ancient  forest  of  Arsuf,  opposite  to  the  ruins  of  the  city  of  that 
name.  This  hilly  district  is  said  to  support  "  a  considerable  population  of  bad  character,  but 
rich  in  horses,  flocks,  and  herds." 

The  melon  district  terminates  near  to  the  river  El  Falik,  which  we  approach  through  a 
wild  shrubbery,  formed  chiefly  of  ilex,  arbutus,  hawthorn,  and  rue.     Its  name  signifies  "  the 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


133 


cutting,"  for  it  is  an  artificial  outlet  for  springs  which  rise  in  the  great  marsh  east  of  the 
sandstone  ridge.  The  course  of  the  stream  is  marked  by  tall  flowering  reeds  (Syrian  papyri), 
which  in  the  distance  look  like  miniature  palm-trees,  and  it  is  bordered  by  thickets  of  oleanders, 


4 


V. 


VIEW   OF  THE   ROCK-ENCIRCLED  HARBOUR  AT  JAFFA, 

From  the  roof  of  the  house  of  Simon  the  Tanner.    The  building  in  the  foreground,  with  its  domes  and  perforated  parapets,  is  a  characteristic 
example  of  native  domestic  architecture  in  towns  and  cities  of  Southern  Palestine. 

lupins,  and  St.  John's  wort.  Mounds  of  ruins  near  to  the  river  prove  that  there  was  at  one 
time  an  important  fortress  here.  After  crossing  the  stream  we  traverse  an  undulating  sandy 
plain,  quite  uninhabited,  uncultivated,  treeless,  and  waterless,  and  with  scarcely  a  sign  of  a 


VOL.  III. 


i34  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

beaten  track  anywhere.  This  desolation  extends  southwards  for  nearly  five  miles,  relieved 
only  by  occasional  patches  of  poa  bulbosa  and  marram  grass,  and  thistles  of  many  kinds,  with 
pink,  blue,  and  yellow  blossoms.  Drifted  sand-hills  on  the  right  shut  out  the  view  of  the  sea, 
and  another  range  on  the  left  conceals  the  wooded  hills  of  the  plain  of  Sharon. 

We  pass  some  pools  of  stagnant  water,  partly  overgrown  with  reeds  and  rushes,  and  notice 
a  few  caves  and  several  groups  of  rock-cut  tombs  in  the  sandstone  ridge  on  our  left.  This 
lonely  way  leads  us  to  El  Haram  'Aly  Ibn  'Aleim  (the  sanctuary  of  'Aly  the  son  of  'Aleim), 
which  stands  on  the  coast  ridge  about  one  hundred  and  ten  feet  above  the  sea-level.  It  consists 
of  a  few  substantial-looking  houses  clustering  round  an  ancient  mosque,  said  to  have  been  built 
by  the  Sultan  Melek  ed  Daher  Bibars  in  honour  of  the  famous  dervish  'Aly  Ibn  'Aleim,  about 
the  year  1270. 

I  spent  a  few  hours  here  one  night  when  on  a  journey  with  my  brother.  We  approached  it, 
however,  on  that  occasion  from  the  south,  making  our  way  along  the  seashore  at  time  of  sunset. 
Sea-gulls  were  flapping  their  broad  white  wings  above  our  heads,  a  multitude  of  crabs  {cancer 
volans)  were  running  from  their  sandholes  towards  the  sea,  and  oyster-catchers  were  flitting 
about,  busily  seeking  an  evening  meal.  The  cliffs  on  our  right  were  high  and  steep,  and 
formed  of  a  conglomerate  of  shells  and  sand.  In  some  places  the  beach  was  very  narrow  and 
rocky.  The  twilight  deepened  rapidly,  and  a  thick  mist  rose  from  the  ground,  so  that  we 
could  only  see  the  upper  parts  of  the  figures  moving  before  us.  We  met  a  long  string  of 
camels  swinging  themselves  lazily  along :  they  looked  very  strange  and  shadowy,  partly 
concealed  and  partly  magnified  as  they  were  by  the  mist.  Our  kawass,  who  was  riding  a  little 
way  in  advance  of  us,  appeared  to  be  gliding  along  without  support,  for  his  grey  horse  was  quite 
invisible.  Presently  he  guided  us  towards  a  curious  winding  fissure  in  the  cliffs,  an  ancient 
water-course  which  served  as  a  road.  A  low  rough  wall  of  rock  stood  in  the  middle  and  divided 
it  into  two  natural  causeways.  The  groom  alighted  and  led  the  way,  groping  along  the  steep  and 
winding  road  with  a  large  lantern  in  his  hand.  We  soon  reached  the  top  of  the  cliff,  far  above 
the  sea  mists,  and  found  ourselves  close  to  the  precincts  of  the  sanctuary.  We  were  conducted 
through  several  courtyards  and  passages,  then  up  a  steep  uncovered  stone  staircase  to  a  wide 
terrace,  where  a  number  of  Arabs  were  sitting  round  a  little  mountain  of  rice,  and  eating  it 
quickly  and  silently  by  star  and  lantern  light.  The  sheikh  of  El  Haram  welcomed  us  with 
great  courtesy,  and  invited  us  to  enter  the  spacious  and  lofty  guest-chamber  which  opened  on  to 
the  terrace.  Little  red  earthenware  lamps  of  antique  form  were  lighted  and  placed  in  niches 
round  the  room,  and  then  we  could  see  that  the  roof  was  domed  and  fluted,  and  the  walls 
plastered  and  decorated  with  incised  ornament  of  good  design.  In  central  positions  there  were 
ornamental  inscriptions  in  red  and  black,  chiefly  consisting  of  the  names  of  prophets  and  saints, 
and  invocations  to  God.  But  the  whole  surface  was  blackened  with  smoke  from  the  wood  fires 
which  are  always  kept  burning  in  the  centre  of  the  cemented  floor  in  the  winter.  There  was 
nothing  in  this  spacious  apartment  but  a  few  old  reed  mats,  spread  in  the  slightly  raised 
recesses  on  three  sides  of  it  and  in  the  corners.     We  had  some  of  our  tent  furniture  brought  in, 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE.  135 

and  after  supper  and  some  talk  with  the  sheikh  we  walked  for  a  little  time  on  the  star-lit 
terrace,  where  our  servants,  rolled  up  in  their  heavy  cloaks  and  wadded  quilts,  were  already  in 
deep  sleep. 

We  rested  for  a  few  hours  in  the  great  guest-chamber,  and  when  the  mueddin  (see  page 
147,  vol.  ii.)  chanted  the  call  to  prayer  from  the  little  minaret  close  by,  "  Awake,  sleepers, 
it  is  better  to  pray  than  to  sleep,"  we  answered  to  the  call  and  then  went  on  to  the  terrace. 

The  day  was  just  beginning  to  dawn.  It  was  three  o'clock,  and  the  loud  shrill  voice 
echoing  from  the  courtyard  below  reminded  us  that  it  was  the  hour  of  the  "first  cock- 
crowing:"  the  "second  cock-crowing"  is  at  sunrise,  about  two  hours  later.  At  four  o'clock 
we  were  ready  to  pursue  our  journey,  and  we  rode  away,  grateful  for  the  shelter  which  had 
been  given  to  us  in  this  ancient  sanctuary. 

At  a  very  short  distance  from  this  place,  towards  the  north,  are  the  ruins  of  the  Crusading 
fortress  of  Arsuf  (see  map).  It  is  alluded  to  by  Josephus  under  the  name  of  Apollonia,  but 
of  its  early  history  scarcely  anything  appears  to  be  known,  except  that  it  was  in  ruins  in  the 
year  57  b.c,  and  subsequently  rebuilt  by  the  Romans. 

Arsuf  must  have  been  a  strong  fortress  in  the  eleventh  century,  for  it  is  recorded  that 
Godfrey  of  Bouillon,  King  of  Jerusalem,  besieged  it  unsuccessfully  ;  but  it  shared  the  fate  of 
Csesarea,  and  was  taken  by  Godfrey's  brother  and  successor,  Baldwin  I.,  and,  like  Csesarea, 
was  recaptured  by  the  Muhammedans. 

During  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion's  famous  march  of  a  hundred  miles  from  Acre  (see  page 
73)  to  Ascalon  (see  page  169),  in  1191,  for  the  recovery  of  the  Crusading  fortresses  on  the  sea- 
coast,  it  was  in  the  neighbourhood  of  Arsuf  that  the  most  important  encounter  took  place, 
when  Saladin's  troops  were  defeated  and  the  fortress  of  Arsuf  regained.  The  Arab 
historian,  Boha-ed-din,  admits  that  it  was  the  forest  of  Arsuf  alone  that  saved  Saladin's 
army  from  destruction,  since  without  its  shelter  they  would  have  been  pursued  and  dispersed. 

Arsuf  was  refortified  by  Louis  IX.  in  125 1,  but  in  1265  this  fortress  was  successfully 
besieged  by  the  Sultan  Melek  ed  Daher  Bibars.  The  inhabitants  were  massacred  and  the 
place  destroyed  :  it  has  remained  in  ruins  ever  since.  Lieutenant  Kitchener,  R.E.,  in  his 
"Journal  of  the  Survey"  (1877),  says:  "The  Castle  of  Arsuf  is  very  like  Ascalon  (see 
page  173)  in  the  style  of  its  masonry  and  the  excellence  of  the  cement  employed.  In  places 
where  the  stones  are  weathered  away,  the  cement  remains.  In  other  places  the  pointing 
remains  as  fresh  as  when  the  masons  left  it.  The  castle  was  built  on  a  bad  foundation  of 
very  soft  rock,  on  the  seaside  :  this  has  been  worn  away,  and  the  walls  have  slid  down  bodily. 
They  are  naturally  cracked  and  broken,  but  immense  portions  of  the  walls  have  rolled  down 
from  a  great  height  without  breaking  up.  In  some  parts  the  walls  look  as  if  they  had  been 
built  on  sloping  scarps,  so  perfectly  have  they  slid  from  their  high  position.  A  quantity  of 
green  sulphate  of  copper  is  scattered  about,  attached  to  the  rocks  in  crystals."  The  harbour 
was  well  constructed,  and  "  measured  three  hundred  feet  from  north  to  south,  and  one  hundred 
and  twenty  from  east  to  west,"  with  an  entrance  barely  thirty  feet  wide. 

t  2 


136 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


On  leaving  this  utterly  deserted  place  we  follow  a  track  which  leads   due  east,   across 

the  plain  of  Sharon  to  Kefr  Saba 
(see  page  117),  a  distance  of  eight 
miles.  On  our  right  we  see  exten- 
sive marshes  where  herds  of  buffaloes 
pasture  in  the  spring-time,  and  we 
skirt  a  wooded  district,  the  remnant 
of  the  forest  of  Arsuf,  called  Assur 
by  Geoffry  de  Vinsauf,  the  Crusading 
chronicler. 

Kefr  Saba  (Caphar  Saba)  from 
a  distance  presents  a  very  picturesque 
appearance,  with  palm-trees  growing 
in  its  open  spaces,  and  olive  groves 
and  orchards  north  and  west  of  it. 
The  view  on  page  1 17  is  taken  from 
the  east.  The  village  stands  on 
rising  ground  on  the  elevated  plain, 
and  is  one  hundred  and  sixty-eight 


A    ROADSIDE    FOUNTAIN    AND   TOMB. 
The  Sebil  of  Aba  Nabflt,  commonly  called  the  Tomb  of  Tabitha  (Dorcas). 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE 


Neartmho      *      •  •.  PUBLIC   FOUNTAIN   AT  JAFFA 

Near  to  the  gate  of  the  town,  shaded  by  an  octagonal  domed  structure,  formed  o« 


of  eight  pointed  arches  supported  by  columns. 


138 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


feet  above  the  sea.  Many  biblical  topographists,  including  Dr.  Robinson,  have  alluded  to  this 
place  as  the  site  of  Antipatris,  but  there  is  nothing  to  indicate  that  any  city  of  importance 
ever  stood  here.  Its  houses  are  built  of  sun-dried  bricks  and  small  stones,  and  its  square 
rain-water  tanks  are  made  of  clay.  There  are  no  springs  in  or  near  the  village,  but  about 
half  a  mile  to  the  east  of  it  there  are  two  wells  of  good  water,  one  of  which  is  at  the  sanctuary 
of  Neby  Ben  Yamin  (Benjamin),  shown  on  page  116.      Some  trees  above  the  average  size 


SCENE    IN   A   JAFFA   GARDEN. 
Two  women  engaged  in  working  a  sakiyeh,  a  clumsy  machine  for  raising  water  from  a  well  to  fill  a  reservoir.    On  the  branch  of  pomegranate 

there  is  a  chameleon. 


grow  near  the  shrine,  and  one  of  them  appears  in  the  foreground  of  the  view  of  Kefr  Saba 
(see  page  117).    . 

Josephus  records  that  Herod  built  the  city  of  Antipatris  in  honour  of  his  father,  Antipater, 
"  on  the  plain  of  Caphar  Saba,  the  finest  plain  in  his  kingdom,"  and  he  especially  states  that 
the  city  was  encompassed  by  a  river.  The  mound  on  which  stands  Kul'at  Ras  el  'Ain  is  now 
generally  regarded  as  the  site  of  Antipatris.     It  is  five  miles  and  a  half  due  south  of  Kefr 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE.  139 

Saba,  and  on  the  same  plain  with  it.  It  is  strewn  with  tesserae,  Roman  bricks,  and  fragments 
of  marble,  and  close  to  it  are  the  copious  streams  which  form  the  chief  source  of  the  Nahr  el 
Aujeh  (see  page. 121).  Mr.  James  Finn,  in  his  "Byways  in  Palestine"  (1868),  says: — "  It  is 
impossible  to  avoid  the  conclusion  that  this  is  the  true  site  of  Antipatris.  The  mound  has 
still  a  dry  trench  round  it,  which  must  have  anciently  had  its  current  of  water ; "  and  he  adds, 
"  no  better  spot  could  have  been  selected  for  a  military  station." 

To  Antipatris  St.  Paul  was  hurriedly  conveyed  by  night  from  Jerusalem  by  a  military 
guard,  and  thence  conducted  to  Csesarea  (see  page  108)  on  the  morrow  (Acts  xxiii.  31,  32).  On 
the  Roman  road,  between  Antipatris  and  Jerusalem,  there  is  an  extensive  mound  of  ruins  called 
Tibneh,  which  Christian  tradition  identifies  with  Timnath  Sera,  the  city  of  Joshua  and  his 
burial-place  (Joshua  xxiv.  30).  A  remarkable  tomb  in  a  rock-cut  cemetery,  on  a  declivity  south 
of  the  mound,  is  associated  with  this  tradition  (see  page  125).  Lieutenant  Conder  says: — 
"  There  are  niches  for  over  two  hundred  lamps  in  front  of  the  tomb  entrance.  Within  there  is 
a  chamber  with  fourteen  graves  or  kokim,  and  a  passage  which  leads  to  an  inner  chamber  with 
only  one  koka.  .  .  .  The  great  oak-tree  some  forty  feet  high,  near  the  tomb,  is  called 
Sheikh  et  Teim  (the  chief  servant  of  God)"  (see  page  124).  M.  Guerin,  who  regards  this 
tomb  as  the  veritable  tomb  of  Joshua,  states  that  the  peasants  opened  the  inner  chamber 
shortly  before  his  visit  to  the  place  in  1863,  and  they  found  a  sort  of  candelabrum  with  three 
branches,  in  yellow  metal.  Flint  knives  were  found  in  the  kokim  of  this  tomb  by  the  Abbe 
Richard  in  1870.  (For  the  Samaritan  tradition  respecting  the  tomb  of  Joshua,  refer  to 
page  233,  vol.  i.) 

JAFFA,   THE   ANCIENT  JOPPA. 

Jaffa,  or  rather  Yafa,  is  one  of  the  oldest  seaports  in  the  world,  and  its  name  has  been 
preserved  almost  unchanged  from  the  earliest  times — ia\  Yapho,  "  the  beautiful."  To  the  "  haven 
of  Joppa"  cedars  of  Lebanon  (see  page  237,  vol.  ii.)  were  sent  "in  notes"  for  the  building 
of  successive  Temples  at  Jerusalem  (2  Chron.  ii.  16;  1  Esdras  v.  55).  Jonathan  Maccabseus 
besieged  Joppa  "and  won  it"  (1  Mace.  x.  75,  76).  The  city  fell  successively  under  Greek  and 
Roman  sway,  and  had  been  several  times  destroyed  and  rebuilt  before  the  Arab  invasion, 
a.d.  636.  It  was  acquired  by  the  Crusaders  in  1099,  and  after  having  been  lost  and  regained 
several  times,  was  finally  taken  by  the  Sultan  Melek  ed  Daher  Bibars  in  1267,  who  left  it 
in  ruins.  It  was  not  until  the  end  of  the  seventeenth  century  that  the  place  began  to  revive. 
It  was,  however,  a  walled  town  when  Napoleon's  army  attacked  it  in  1799,  and  it  was  able  to 
make  resistance  for  a  few  days,  but  was  finally  taken  by  storm  on  the  4th  of  March,  and  a 
terrible  massacre  of  prisoners  ensued.  Napoleon  then  caused  the  fortifications  to  be  strengthened, 
and  the  place  prepared  for  receiving  supplies  from  Egypt,  but  after  his  defeat  at  Acre  (refer 
to  page  75),  he  gave  orders  for  the  fortifications  to  be  entirely  destroyed.  They  were 
accordingly  blown  up  on  May  27th,  1799.  The  walls  were  rebuilt  under  the  superintendence 
of  English  and  Turkish  officers.     No  change  has  been  made  in  the  site  of  the  city  :  the  Jaffa 


140 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


SCENE   IN   THE  BAZAAR  AT  JAFFA. 
A  public  cafe,  in  a  deep  arched  recess,  with  a  group  of  smokers.     An  attendant  pounding  coffee  is  steadying  a  wooden  mortar  with  his  naked 
feet.    In  the  foreground  there  are  fruit-stalls,  and  a  Bedouin  with  his  tufted  lance ;  a  water-earner  and  a  peasant  boy  leading  a  camel  are 
passing  by. 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE. 


141 


of  the  present  century  stands  on  the 
accumulated  ruins  of  former  cities,  on  a 
rounded  hill,  the  summit  of  which  is  one 
hundred  and  fifty-three  feet  above  the 
level  of  the  sea  (see  steel  plate,  Jaffa). 

Just  in  front  of  the  town  there  is  a 
semicircular  belt  of  rocks,  some  of  which 
rise  high  out  of  the  water,  while  others 
are  only  indicated  by  the  surf  which  dashes 
over  them.  These  rocks  (to  one  of  which, 
according  to  Pliny,  Andromeda  was 
chained)  form  a  large  but  shallow  harbour, 
which  can  only  be  entered  by  small  boats 
(see  page  133).  There  is  a  wide  opening 
to  the  north  and  a  narrow  one  to  the 
west.  Steamers  anchor  in  the  roadstead 
half  a  mile  from  the  shore,  and  passengers 
are  landed  in  small  boats  (see  page  128). 
The  town  of  Jaffa  is  rapidly  increasing  in 
wealth  and  importance.  Its  population  is 
said  to  exceed  eisrht  thousand,  and  of  this 


SANCTUARY   OF   IMAM    'ALY. 

Surmounted  by  one  large  and  eight  smaller  domes.    On  the  road 

between  Jaffa  and  Ramleh,  near  the  village  of  Yazur. 

number  more  than  two-thirds  are  Muham- 
medans.    The  suburban  population  also  is      pj     ^f^-^ 
considerable ;  there  is  an  Egyptian  colony     W 
north  of  the  town  beyond  the  cemetery 
(see  page  131),  and  the  Temple  colony  (refer  to  page  98)  occupies  an  estate  called  Sarona,  some 
vol.  in.  u 


142  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

distance  to  the  north-east  of  it ;  they  have  also  acquired  a  settlement  nearer  to  the  city,  which 
was  founded  by  an  American  colony  in  1866.  A  very  large  piece  of  ground  beyond  the  Jaffa 
gardens,  on  the  south-east  side,  has  been  granted  to  the  Agricultural  Colony  of  the  Universal 
Israelitish  Alliance. 

The  bazaars  of  Jaffa  are  well  supplied,  and  generally  crowded  with  picturesque  and 
motley  groups  of  people  (see  pages  129  and  140),  Herr  C.  Shick,  Government  Surveyor  of 
Buildings  at  Jerusalem,  says  in  a  recent  report :  "  The  town  wall  has  been  demolished,  the 
ditch  filled  up,  and  a  number  of  large  houses  and  magazines  have  been  erected."  He  adds  : 
"As  a  sign  of  the  advance  of  agriculture,  it  may  be  mentioned  that  the  Jaffa  gardens  have 
increased  in  extent  fourfold  during  a  quarter  of  a  century."  These  gardens  are  the  principal 
attraction  of  the  place.  They  extend  about  two  miles  inland,  and  nearly  three  miles  from  north 
to  south.  The  surface  of  the  ground  is  sandy,  but  there  is  rich  soil  beneath,  and  water  is 
abundant.  The  gardens  are  enclosed  with  stone  walls  or  with  formidable  hedges  of  prickly 
pear  [Cactus  opuntia).  Each  garden  has  its  well,  lined  with  masonry,  and  a  raised  tank  or 
reservoir,  which  is  filled  by  means  of  a  sakiyeh.  The  one  shown  on  page  138  is  being  worked 
by  two  women,  probably  the  wives  of  the  gardener.  The  string  of  water-jars  revolving  round 
the  wheel  over  the  well  can  be  distinguished  through  the  arched  opening  (see  also  page  81, 
and  for  a  fuller  description  of  a  sakiyeh,  see  pages  94  and  95).  These  well-watered  gardens 
produce  a  great  variety  of  fruit  and  vegetables.  The  grapes  are  delicious  and  abundant, 
though  the  vines  are  half  buried  in  the  sand,  The  oranges  of  Jaffa  are  unrivalled,  and  are 
largely  exported. 

One  of  the  chief  resources  of  the  inhabitants  is  the  annual  arrival  of  pilgrims  on  their  way 
to  Jerusalem.  There  is  tolerably  good  hotel  accommodation,  and  the  Latin  Monastery  offers  a 
welcome  to  travellers.  It  stands  high  on  the  slope  of  the  hill,  and  is  said  to  occupy  the  site  of 
the  house  of  Simon  the  Tanner,  but  a  little  Muhammedan  mosque  or  sanctuary  by  the  seaside 
claims  to  be  the  house  itself  (Acts  x.  6)  (see  page  132).  From  the  roof  of  the  house  there  is 
a  good  view  of  the  harbour  (see  page  133).  The  domestic  architecture  of  Jaffa  (see  steel  plate) 
resembles  that  of  Jerusalem  (see  pages  8  and  9,  vol.  i.) ;  there  being  very  little  timber  available 
for  building,  the  roofs  are  necessarily  constructed  of  stone  and  are  therefore  domed.  The 
base  of  the  dome  is  always  more  or  less  concealed  by  masonry,  so  that  a  flat  space  may  be 
secured  for  walking  upon.  These  terraced  roofs  are  generally  protected  by  a  low  wall  or 
parapet,  as  they  must  have  been  anciently  in  obedience  to  the  law  :  "  When  thou  buildest  a 
new  house,  then  thou  shalt  make  a  battlement  for  thy  roof,  that  thou  bring  not  blood  upon 
thine  house,  if  any  man  fall  from  thence  "  (Deut.  xxii.  8).  The  parapets  and  upper  portions 
of  walls  of  houses  of  this  description  are  frequently  constructed  partly  of  earthenware  pipes 
about  five  inches  in  diameter  and  eieht  or  ten  inches  lonsr.  These  tubular  bricks  are  embedded 
in  cement  and  arranged  in  fanciful  geometrical  patterns.  The  house-top  represented  on  page 
133  is  a  good  example  of  this  peculiar  mode  of  construction  (see  also  page  40,  vol.  i.).  Near  to 
the  gate  of  Jaffa  there  is  a  handsome  fountain  (see  page  137). 


EN 

© 

M 


MARITIME  CITIES  OF  PALESTINE.  143 

The  journey  from  Jaffa  (see  page  137)  to  Jerusalem  (see  page  1,  vol.  i.)  may  now  be  made 
in  an  omnibus  in  about  twelve  hours ;  two  vehicles  run  daily  each  way,  under  the  super- 
intendence of  the  Temple  colonists.  Telegraphic  posts  and  wires,  and  watch-houses  at  intervals 
of  about  two  miles  or  less,  mark  the  course  of  the  road  (see  page  195,  vol.  i.).  Travellers 
who  prefer  riding  usually  start  from  Jaffa  early  in  the  afternoon,  and  spend  the  night  at 
Ramleh  (see  page  148),  ready  to  start  for  Jerusalem  before  dawn  on  the  following  day  ;  but 
there  was  no  choice  in  the  matter  when  I  arrived  in  Palestine  in  the  year  1855,  for  there  was 
not  a  wheeled  carriage  of  any  kind  in  the  country,  not  even  a  wheel-barrow. 

I  well  remember  my  first  ride  on  the  Jaffa  road.  We  had  spent  a  short  time  in  quarantine, 
and  had  been  afterwards  kindly  entertained  by  Dr.  Kayat,  the  British  Consul  at  Jaffa,  and  his 
family,  in  their  pleasant  bow-windowed  house  by  the  seaside,  when,  towards  the  close  of  a 
July  day — our  fellow-travellers  and  the  muleteers  with  the  baggage  being  in  readiness — we 
mounted  and  set  out  on  our  journey.  An  old  man  in  a  coat  of  many  colours  led  my  horse  up 
the  steep  and  narrow  streets  of  stairs,  through  the  crowded  bazaars  (see  pages  129  and  140), 
and  out  at  the  great  gate  north-east  of  the  town.  It  was  about  six  o'clock.  The  open  space 
outside  the  gate  was  in  shade,  for  the  sun  was  going  down  towards  the  sea,  and  here  picturesque 
groups  of  the  townspeople,  seated  on  low  stools  or  on  matting,  were  enjoying  their  pipes,  while 
others,  well  mounted,  were  galloping  backwards  and  forwards.  We  rode  towards  the  south- 
east, along  a  broad  sandy  road,  which  led  us  to  a  bridle-path  between  dusty  hedges  of  cactus 
(ppuntia),  the  large  fleshy  thick-jointed  leaves  of  which  were  fringed  with  yellow  flowers, 
promising  a  rich  harvest  of  prickly  pears.  In  the  fruit  gardens  on  each  side  oranges,  lemons, 
pistachios,  apricots,  almonds,  and  mulberries  were  ripening.  The  pomegranate  tree  showed  its 
scarlet  flowers,  and  acacias,  locust-trees,  tamarisks,  olive,  and  fig-rees  flourished,  while  here  and 
there  a  group  of  palm-trees  laden  with  golden  fruit  towered  above  them. 

We  paused  for  a  few  minutes  at  a  wayside  tomb  and  fountain,  "  the  Sebil  of  Abu  Nabut," 
who  was  Governor  of  Jaffa  at  the  commencement  of  this  century.  It  is  popularly  called  the 
Tomb  of  Tabitha.  (Close  to  this  tomb  (see  page  136),  and  extending  northwards  from  it  into 
the  fruit  gardens,  the  ancient  cemetery  of  Jaffa  was  discovered,  in  the  year  1874,  by  M.  C. 
Clermont  Ganneau.  It  contains  many  rock-cut  tombs,  and  the  circle  of  ground  which  includes 
them  is  known  as  Ard  Dhabitha,  "the  land  of  Dhabitha.")  It  was  about  half-past  six  when 
we  reached  the  open  country  beyond  the  gardens.  The  sun  went  down.  Vultures  and  kites 
were  sweeping  through  the  air.  As  the  darkness  increased  our  little  party,  including  our 
servants  and  six  muleteers,  assembled  together  to  keep  in  close  company  for  the  rest  of  the 
way.  We  could  distinguish  parties  of  field  labourers  and  oxen  at  rest  by  the  roadside,  and 
sometimes  we  came  to  a  rude  threshing-floor,  where  by  the  light  of  a  bonfire  of  weeds  and 
thorns  we  saw  Rembrandt-like  groups  of  rough-looking  peasants,  some  of  them  sleeping,  others 
lighting  their  long  pipes  with  the  fragrant  embers. 

The  nine-domed  sanctuary  of  Imam  'Aly  presently  appeared  close  to  the  roadside,  its 
whitewashed  walls  gleaming  through  the  darkness.     It  is  near  to  the  village  of  Yazur  (see  map 

u  2 


144 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


and  page  141).      This  place  was  supposed  to  represent  the  ancient  Gezer  (Joshua  x.  33)  until 

M.  Ganneau,  by  cleverly  following  up  a  clue  gathered  from 

an  old  Arabian  writer,  discovered  the  true  site  of  the  royal    v 

Canaanitish   city  at   Tel   Gezer,  near  Abu  Shusheh.      This 

discovery  was  confirmed  by  some  inscriptions  in  Hebrew  and 

Greek  characters  which  he  found  there,  engraved  pn  a  rock. 

Not  far  from  Yazur  the  road  forks  :  a  path  to  the  left 
leads  to  Ludd  (Lydda,  see  page  145).  We  kept  to  the  right 
and  rode  on  in  the  darkness  over  the  undulating  plain.  At 
about  nine  o'clock  the  tall  isolated  tower  of  Ramleh  rose  to 
view  on  our  right.  We  hurried  onwards  through  the  olive 
groves  and  soon  entered  the  town  of  Ramleh,  where  a  kindly 
welcome  awaited  us. 

Ramleh  is  a  purely  Arabic  word,  and  signifies  "sandy." 
According  to  Arab  historians  the  city  was  founded   by  the 
Khalif  Suleiman,  son  of  Abd  el  Melik,  a.d.  716.     The  first 
notice  of  it  by  a   European 
writer  is  in  "  The  Voyage  of 
Bernard  the  Wise."     He  calls 
it    "  Ramula,"    and     passed 
through   it    on    his   way   to 
Emmaus  (see  page   152),  in 
a.d.  867,  when  it  must  have 
already  become   a  place   of 
importance,   for  many  coins 
of  the  Omeiyad  and  Abbaside 
khalifs  had  been  struck  there. 
Marasid  el  'Ittila'a  describes 
Er  Ramleh  as  "  formerly  the 
capital  of  Filastin."     Its  ori- 
ginal boundaries  extended  far 
beyond  the  present  unwalled 
town.  Ramleh  passed  through 
many  vicissitudes  during  the 
time   of  the    Crusades.      It 
was  held  by  the  Crusaders 
from  a.d.  1 204  to  1266,  when 
it  was  finally  taken  by  Sultan  THE  TOWER  AT  RAMLEH. 

Mf»lf»k'  Pc\    Dari^r   T-?ikarc  Said   t0  ^  the  minaret  of  a  larSe  mosque  which  once  stood  here.      According  to    an  Arabic 

lucich.  LU  leaner   IJlUarS.  inscription  over  the  door,  it  was  built  in  the  year  1318.     It  is  known  as  the  White  Mosque. 


RUINS  OF  THE   CHURCH   OF   ST.   GEORGE  AT   LUDD,   THE   ANCIENT   LYDDA. 
The  nave  and  north  aisle  have  been  recently  restored  and  converted  into  a  Greek  church  ;  the  south  aisle  is  destroyed,  and  the  remainder  is  used 

as  the  court  of  a  mosque. 


LYDDA  AND   RAMLEH. 


THE   traveller  who,  on  arrival  at  Ramleh  at  sunset,  can  forget  his  fatigue  and  accomplish 
the  ascent  of  the   lofty  tower   overlooking  the  plains   (see  page  144),  will  be  amply 
rewarded  for  his  exertions  by  the  magnificent  view  spread  out  before  him  (see   page   148). 


1 46  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Though  yet  early  in  the  year,  the  winter  is  past,  the  rain  is  over  and  gone.  "  The  flowers 
appear  on  the  earth,  the  time  of  the  singing  of  birds  is  come,  and  the  voice  of  the  turtle  is 
heard  in  our  land.  The  fig-tree  putteth  forth  her  green  figs,  and  the  vines  with  the  tender 
grapes  give  a  good  smell."  The  fragrance  from  the  orange-groves  is  wafted  on  the  breeze, 
the  last  lowing  of  cattle  and  bleating  of  sheep  returning  to  their  folds  fill  the  air  with  a  pleasant 
sound — darkness  and  quiet  are  spreading  over  the  land.  The  soil  is  still  moist  with  the  winter 
rains,  not  yet  licked  up  by  the  dry  easterly  winds,  and  lagoons  and  sheets  of  water  flash  back 
the  splendour  of  the  setting  sun.  Abundant  verdure,  both  corn  and  weeds,  covers  the  rich 
loam,  and  when  swayed  by  the  breeze  displays  glints  of  crimson  from  the  millions  of  anemones, 
the  roses  of  Sharon,  which  lie  shrouded  among  the  lengthening  grasses. 

The  whole  goodly  plain  of  Sharon  is'  visible — from  Mount  Carmel  on  the  north  down  to 
Lydda,  from  the  eastern  hills  to  the  blue  sea,  now  bathed  in  gold — a  wilderness  of  weeds  and 
thorn  brakes,  and  yet  a  very  paradise  of  colour  and  ever-varying  beauty.  Sharon  was  lovely 
in  days  gone  by,  when  every  acre  was  cultivated  and  teeming  with  an  abundant  population  ;  it 
is  yet  lovely  during  the  land's  long  holiday,  at  this  time  of  year,  before  the  fervid  summer  heat 
has  parched  up  the  land  and  reduced  the  plain  to  a  barren  waste. 

Yet  ascend  the  tower  once  again  in  the  autumn  and  a  different  prospect  presents  itself. 
Far  and  wide  the  olive-groves  have  become  dull  and  lustreless  from  the  accumulation  of  dust, 
the  mulberry  leaves  have  disappeared,  used  as  food  for  the  sheep.  The  soil  is  parched  up  and 
dry,  all  verdure  has  departed,  even  the  stalks  of  corn  have  cracked  up  and  fled  away  on  the 
wind,  and  there  is  left  a  sky  of  brass  and  earth  of  iron.  Trees  and  houses  quiver  in  the  heated 
atmosphere,  camels  in  the  distance  are  seen  with  their  bodies  separated  from  their  legs,  in 
grotesque  confusion,  and  there  are  sudden  glimpses  of  oases  in  stony  places,  beautiful  sheets  of 
water  and  green  trees  where  it  is  known  to  be  only  parched-up  land.  The  villages,  which  so 
few  weeks  ago  were  thronged  with  mountaineers  assisting  in  the  lowland  harvest,  are  now 
denuded  of  their  normal  inhabitants,  who  in  their  turn  have  ascended  the  hills  to  assist  their 
neighbours.  The  corn  has  long  since  been  harvested,  thrashed,  winnowed,  and  heaped  up ; 
the  Government  has  taken  its  share,  the  landowners  have  taken  theirs,  the  money  usurers 
theirs,  and  what  is  left  to  the  villages  is  now  safely  housed  in  the  boxes  made  of  cow-dung 
which  serve  for  barns,  and  the  people  know  what  are  their  slender  means  for  the  coming  year. 
They  are  a  frugal  race,  who  do  their  best  to  keep  body  and  soul  together — with  very  moderate 
success,  for  they  are  not  only  preyed  upon  by  their  own  Government  officials,  but  also  by  the 
Bedawin  of  the  desert,  who  constantly  make  inroads  from  the  south  country  and  carry  off  the 
corn  as  it  lies  on  the  threshing-floors.  They  are  probably  descendants  of  the  ancient 
inhabitants  of  the  land,  and  their  traditions  go  far  to  prove  this.  It  was  on  these  pasture  lands 
that  the  royal  herds  of  King  David  were  wont  to  graze,  and  their  excellence  is  referred  to  by 
the  prophet  Isaiah  (xxxv.  1,2):  "  The  desert  shall  rejoice,  and  blossom  as  the  rose.  It  shall 
blossom  abundantly,  and  rejoice  even  with  joy  and  singing  :  the  glory  of  Lebanon  shall  be 
given  unto  it,  the  excellency  of  Carmel  and  Sharon." 


LYDDA  AND  RAMLEH.  147 

The  desolation  of  the  plain  of  Sharon  is  at  present  due  to  want  of  a  stable  and  organized 
government.  It  is  still  well  watered,  it  still  counts  its  forests,  and  the  sea-sand  has  not  greatly- 
encroached  upon  its  borders ;  its  soil  is  most  fertile,  and  its  people  are  able  and  willing  to  till 
the  land,  were  they  not  ground  down  and  hindered  by  the  rapacious  officials  who  are  sent 
periodically  to  take  from  them  their  gains,  under  one  pretext  or  another.  These  people  are 
a  rural  race  whose  sympathies  are  evidently  not  with  their  Turkish  rulers,  but  rather  with 
the  Egyptians,  with  whom,  as  in  days  of  yore,  they  still  keep  up  a  close  connection,  not  a 
few  having  been  down  to  work  on  the  Suez  Canal.  Like  the  Egyptians,  they  have  raised 
the  fruitful  groves  surrounding  their  habitations  by  the  sweat  of  their  brow.  Irrigation  is 
necessary  to  keep  them  in  a  flourishing  condition,  and  this  is  kept  up  by  means  of  water 
ever  flowing  from  wells  nearly  one  hundred  feet  in  depth,  the  water-wheels  (see  page  138) 
of  which  are  worked  by  contributions  of  animals,  camels,  horses,  mules,  oxen,  donkeys,  from 
the  families  in  the  villages,  according  to  their  wealth  and  breadth  of  lands. 

Let  us  descend  the  tower  and  visit  Ludd,  the  ancient  Lydda,  by  moonlight.  Passing  over 
fields  of  ranunculus,  anemones,  saffrons,  and  other  wild  flowers  now  closed,  we  burst  through  a 
line  of  tall  bushy  reeds  and  grasses,  startling  a  heron  into  flight,  and  see  in  front  of  us,  on  a 
flash  of  water,  the  beautiful  ruins  of  Lydda,  the  city  of  our  patron  saint,  St.  George,  held  in 
honour  both  by  Muhammedans  and  Christians.  The  church,  the  ruins  of  which  were  until 
lately  so  picturesque,  has  passed  through  many  vicissitudes  (see  page  145).  As  early  as 
a.d.  315  we  know  it  to  have  existed  here,  the  site  of  a  bishopric,  and  dedicated  to  St.  George, 
whose  remains  are  said  to  be  interred  beneath.  This  church  was  destroyed  in  the  eighth 
century  by  the  Saracens,  and  again  rebuilt  by  the  Crusaders,  again  destroyed  by  Saladin  and 
rebuilt  by  Richard  Cceur  de  Lion. 

But  it  is  not  only  as  a  Christian  site  that  Lydda  is  of  interest — unlike  the  modern  Ramleh, 
Lydda  can  lay  claim  to  our  interest  as  an  ancient  site ;  not,  however,  rendered  conspicuous  until 
the  time  of  the  apostles.  Here  it  was  that  Saint  Peter  healed  the  paralytic  one,  and  here 
he  was  staying  when  he  was  sent  for  to  Joppa  (see  page  137),  nine  miles  distant,  at  the  time 
of  the  death  of  Tabitha.  It  assumed  the  name  of  Diospolis  (City  of  Zeus)  about  the  time  of 
Hadrian,  and  only  gradually,  through  the  lapse  of  centuries,  regained  its  original  name. 

Forcing  our  way  over  vast  quantities  of  segs  or  flags,  and  scarcely  escaping  the  thorns  of 
the  prickly  pear,  we  ascend  the  swelling  hills  and  find  ourselves  among  the  ruins  of  'Amwds 
(the  ancient  Emmaus,  afterwards  called  Nicopolis),  with  Latron  in  the  distance  (see  page  152). 

Emmaus  is  mentioned  in  the  book  of  Maccabees,  and  also  by  F.  Josephus  as  being  a 
place  of  note  in  the  time  of  the  Asmoneans,  and  it  was  in  sight  of  this  city  that  Jonathan 
Maccabseus  defeated  the  Syrian  army.  It  must  not,  however,  be  confounded  with  Emmaus  of 
Luke  xxiv.  13,  though  Dr.  Robinson  was  in  favour  of  this  supposition.  (Refer  to  pages  198  et 
seq.,  vol.  i.,  where  the  subject  of  the  site  of  Emmaus  is  fully  treated.)  'Amwas  is  now  merely 
a  squalid  village  with  a  ruined  church.  From  here  we  can  see  the  new  carriage  road  winding 
up  the  highlands  to  Jerusalem. 


148 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


THE   PLAIN   OF   SHARON    FROM   THE  TOWER,    RAMLEH. 

This  tower,  shown  on  page  144,  was  the  minaret  of  a  mosque  called  Jami'a  el  Abtad.     It  has  a  winding  staircase  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  steps. 
Its  eastern  windows  overlook  the  town  of  Ramleh  and  the  plain  beyond,  bounded  by  the  hills  of  Judaea. 


SUR'AH,   THE   ANCIENT  ZORAH. 
The  birthplace  of  Samson.   It  is  five  miles  south  of  Latron,  on  a  conical  hill  on  the  north  side  of  the  Wady  es  Sur'ar  (the  Valley  of  Sorek). 


PHILISTIA, 


P*HE  term  Philistia  or  Palestine  (the  "land  of  the  stranger  ")  has  now,  by  some  strange 
-*-       irony  of  fate,  been  assumed  by  all  that  portion  of  Canaan  which  was  conquered  and 
occupied  by  the  children  of  Israel  as  the  Promised  Land. 

It  is  probable  that  this  has  arisen  from  the  fact  that  during  the  time  of  the  Grecian 
vol.  in.  x 


ISO  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

supremacy  the  Philistines  were  great  in  power  and  occupied  the  sea-board  from  Jaffa  to  Gaza, 
with  the  ports  or  majumas  of  Jabneh  (see  page  162),  Ashdod  (see  page  165),  Ascalon  (see 
page  173),  and  Gaza  (see  page  175),  and  at  one  time  even  held  the  people  of  Israel  in 
subjection,  and  would  naturally  assert  themselves  owners  of  the  inland  territory  to  those  trading 
on  their  coasts.  The  land  of  the  Philistines,  at  the  time  of  the  conquest  of  Canaan  by  the 
Israelites,  extended  from  Ekron  ('Akir)  on  the  north  to  Gaza  on  the  south  (see  map),  from  the 
sea-board  on  the  west  to  the  mountains  on  the  east,  and  was  usually  called  Shephelath,  or 
the  Low  Country.  At  that  time  the  Philistines  appear  to  have  been  on  very  friendly  terms 
with  the  Anakim  of  the  mountains  and  with  the  other  nations  of  Canaan,  and  to  have  joined 
them  in  withstanding  the  incursions  of  the  Israelites.  That  the  Philistines  alone  were  successful 
in  offering  a  continued  and  strenuous  resistance,  is  probably  due  to  their  possession  of  horsemen 
and  chariots,  which  they  could  use  to  advantage  on  the  plains,  and  which  their  antagonists  did 
not  possess  in  any  number. 

The  whole  of  Philistia  was  in  those  days  highly  cultivated  and  most  productive,  and  was 
renowned  for  its  vast  unbroken  expanses  of  luxuriant  corn,  and  groves  of  fruit-trees  and 
vineyards;  and  even  to  the  present  day  the  land  still  enjoys  a  reputation  for  productiveness, 
and  exports  corn  to  foreign  countries,  though  its  breadth  of  production  is  very  much  narrowed, 
for  on  the  sea-board  the  drift  sand  has  been  allowed  to  encroach  and  cover  the  land  for 
some  miles  inland,  engulfing  the  site  of  many  an  ancient  city.  This  encroachment  of  sand  from 
the  sea-shore  is  a  most  serious  evil,  and  every  year  threatens  more  and  more  the  fertile  plain. 
Already  many  miles  of  rich  country  have  been  devoured  by  this  insatiable  monster,  and  there 
is  no  Perseus  at  hand  to  deliver  Andromeda.  Gaza  (see  page  175)  and  Ashdod  (see  page  165) 
are  threatened  and  will  in  a  few  years  be  overcome,  while  their  ancient  ports  have  long  since 
disappeared.  The  method  of  progress  of  this  silent  sea  monster  is  plainly  visible.  The  whole 
of  the  coast  now  consists  of  sand  dunes  sloping  at  an  angle  of  ten  degrees  in  the  direction  of 
the  prevailing  south-west  wind,  and  presenting  a  slope  of  about  thirty  to  thirty-five  degrees 
to  the  north-east  or  on  the  leeward  side,  and  when  the  prevailing  wind  is  blowing  the  sand 
may  be  seen  gently  working  up  the  windward  incline,  and,  on  arriving  at  the  summit  of  the 
dune,  swiftly  falling  to  the  bottom,  from  thence  again  to  ascend  another  gentle  slope,  ever 
moving  onwards  towards  the  interior. 

On  the  eastern  side  of  Philistia  another  enemy  has  laid  waste  the  country  and  destroyed 
its  ancient  fertility,  for  there  the  hills  have  been  denuded  of  their  soil  until  nothing  is  left  but 
the  bare  rock ;  year  after  year  the  terraces  supporting  the  vineyards  and  fruit-trees  have  been 
allowed  to  fall  away,  and  the  rich  red  loamy  soil  has  been  washed  down  until  the  hillsides 
are  bare  and  desolate.  At  the  bottoms  of  the  valleys  are  still  narrow  slips  of  fertile  ground, 
which  yield  in  abundance,  when  they  are  not  deluged  by  torrents  from  the  unclothed  hillsides 
or  too  greatly  scorched  by  the  glare  from  the  overhanging  rocks. 

Philistia  is  not  by  any  means  the  uniformly  level  tract  it  is  generally  supposed  to  be  ;  it 
may  be  said  to  be  divided  into  two  portions :  first,  the  undulating  plains,  about  twelve  miles 


PHI  LI  ST  I  A.  i5i 

in  breadth,  bordering  on  die  sea-coast,  elevated  from  fifty  to  one  hundred  feet  above  the 
sea-level,  and  consisting  of  a  series  of  undulations  without  distinctive  features,  composed  of 
the  richest  alluvial  deposit.  Here  were  built  and  flourished  Ekron,  Jabneh  (see  page  162), 
Migdol  (see  page  167),  Ashdod  (see  page  165),  Ascalon  (see  page  169),  and  Gaza  (see  page 
175),  cities  well  fortified  and  situated  on  eminences,  and  dedicated  to  the  worship  of  the  ancient 
fish-gods.  Between  this  undulating  country  and  the  mountains  or  hill  country  of  Judah,  is  the 
hilly  country  of  Philistia,  stretching  from  north  to  south,  and  about  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  wide. 
It  consists  of  a  series  of  hills  and  spurs  from  five  hundred  to  eight  hundred  feet  above  the 
sea-level,  broken  through  by  broad  valleys,  and  is  distinct  from  the  hill  country  of  Judah,  where 
the  mountains  rise  to  a  height  of  two  thousand  to  three  thousand  feet,  and  overhang  Philistia. 
In  this  district,  as  has  already  been  stated,  the  productive  soil  has  been  washed  away  with  the 
terraces  from  the  hillsides  into  the  valleys,  leaving  vast  extents  of  bare  rock ;  but  even  yet  the 
country  is  not  abandoned,  and  the  fellahin,  when  not  too  closely  ground  down  under  Turkish  rule, 
carefully  and  successfully  cultivate  here  and  there  the  portions  left  uninjured  (see  page  160). 

It  is,  in  a  great  measure,  due  to  the  desolating  rule  of  the  nations  which  have  held  sway 
in  Palestine  for  so  many  centuries,  that  we  are  enabled  at  the  present  time  to  recognise  so 
many  of  the  ancient  sites  mentioned  in  the  books  relating  the  conquest  of  the  country  by  the 
Israelites,  more  than  three  thousand  years  ago. 

Instead  of  being  the  "  battle-field  of  nations,"  had  this  country  existed  for  any  lengthened 
period  under  a  settled  form  of  government  and  been  allowed  to  develop  its  resources  and 
prosper,  it  is  probable  that  all  records  of  the  far-distant  past  would  long  ere  this  have  been 
swept  away ;  but,  owing  to  the  state  of  poverty  in  which  the  country  has  continued,  very  slight 
changes  have  taken  place,  with  the  exception  of  a  general  decay. 

The  descendants  of  the  original  inhabitants  still  linger  about  the  ancient  sites  and  ruins, 
and  preserve  their  ancient  traditions,  so  that  it  is  practicable  at  the  present  day  to  go  through 
the  land,  Bible  in  hand,  and  identify  the  places  there  mentioned.  This  is  more  especially 
the  case  with  regard  to  places  of  minor  importance,  such  as  the  ancient  second-rate  towns  in 
Philistia,  for  very  little  has  occurred  to  cause  any  change  in  their  sites,  while  on  the  other 
hand  the  chief  towns,  such  as  Gath  (see  page  161),  Ascalon  (see  page  169),  and  Gaza  (see  page 
175),  have  been  subject  to  many  sieges,  and  to  the  usual  fortunes  of  war.  In  many  instances 
the  stones  of  the  ancient  towns  have  been  taken  by  the  fellahin  and  burnt  into  lime  (see  page 
184),  or  carried  off  to  other  sites,  as  in  the  case  of  Ascalon,  whenee  many  shiploads  of  cut  and 
carved  stones  were  taken  for  the  rebuilding  of  'Akka  (see  page  j6)  and  Saida  (see  page  45) ; 
but,  as  a  general  rule,  the  remains  of  the  cities  are  still  to  be  found  on  the  spot,  covered  with 
rubbish  or  built  into  the  walls  of  the  peasants'  houses. 

At  the  foot  of  the  mountain-wall  of  Judah,  just  beyond  the  north-eastern  extremity  of  the 
hills  of  Philistia,  is  still  to  be  seen  the  site  of  Zorah,  the  birthplace  of  Samson,  the  son  of 
Manoah.  This  place  is  now  called  Sur'ah  (see  page  149) ;  it  is  on  the  northern  bank  of  the 
Wady  es  Sur'ar,  the  head  of  the  river  called  Nahr  Rubin  (see  map). 

x  2 


1^2 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


l 


THE    RUINED    FORTRESS   OF    LATRON,    FROM   'AMVYAS, 
The  E'mmaus  of  the  Maccabees,  afterwards  called  Nicopolis.  In  the  foreground  are  the  remains 
of  the  ancient  church  of  Emmaus.    There  is  a  direct  road,  running  southwards,  from 
Latr6n  to  Zprah  (Sfir'ah),  over  hills  dotted  with  ruined  sites. 

Zorah  was  well  placed  as  an  outlying  post  of  the  Israelites 
on  the  brow  of  a  sharp-pointed  conical  hill  overlooking  the 
Valley  of  Sorek  (Wady  es  Sur'ar)  towards  the  Philistines,  and 
yet  with  a  gentle  slope  on  the  north-east  towards  the  cities  of 
the  tribes  of  Dan  and  Judah.      It  is  at  a  height  of  eleven 


PHILISTIA. 


J53 


hundred  and  seventy-one  feet  above  the  level  of  the  sea,  and  commands  a  view  of  the  opposite 
side  of  the  valley,  on  which  the  Philistines  were  located  and  where  they  still  owned  the  soil. 
From  this  central. point  of  view  at  Sur'ah  (Zorah)  the  history  of  Samson  and  subsequent  events 


can  be  studied  to  advantage,  for 
on  looking  across  the  valley  on 
to  the  opposite  hills  to  the  south- 
west can  be  seen  the  remains  of 
Timnath,  now  called  Tibneh  (see 
page  156),  where  Samson's  be- 
trothed resided  among  the  Philis- 
tines ;  below  in  the  valley  itself 
on  the  southern  side  are  the 
remains  of  Beth-shemesh  (see 
page  155),  to  which  the  milch 
kine  brought  the  ark  in  a  cart 
from  Ekron  ('Akir),  and  on  look- 
ing down  the  Valley  of  Sorek  the 

line  can  be  traced  up  which  the  cart  would  have  been  drawn  (see  page  155).      We  find  that 
Samson  grew  up  to  manhood  in  the  country  about  Zorah  and  Eshtaol  (Joshua  xix.  41) ;  that  is 


SHRINE  OF   SHEIKH    SAMAT   AT  SOR'AH   (ZORAH), 

On  the  summit  of  the  hill.     Below  is  shown  the  upper  part  of  the  Wady  es  Silr'ar  (Valley 
of  Sorek),  which  falls  into  the  river  called  Nahr  Rubin. 


i54  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

to  say,  about  the  sides  and  among  the  steep  slopes  and  precipices  of  the  mountains  of  Judah  at 
a  time  when  the  Philistines  had  dominion  over  Israel.  And  he  went  from  Zorah  (Sur'ah,  see 
page  149)  across  the  Valley  of  Sorek  (Wady  es  Sur'ar)  to  the  opposite  side,  into  the  parts 
where  the  Philistines  lived,  to  Timnath  (Tibneh,  see  page  156),  where  he  sought  for  his  wife 
a  daughter  of  the  Philistines.  And  among  the  vineyards  of  Timnath  a  young  lion  roared 
against  him,  and  Samson,  who  had  nothing  in  his  hand,  rent  him  as  he  would  have  rent  a  kid. 
And  as  he  returned  he  found  a  swarm  of  bees  and  honey  in  the  skeleton  of  the  lion,  and  put 
forth  a  riddle  to  his  companions  among  the  Philistines,  who  had  come  to  feast  with  him. 
Through  Samson's  wife  they  ascertained  the  answer,  and  Samson's  anger  was  kindled,  and  he 
went  over  the  mountains  to  Askalon  (see  page  169),  where  he  slew  thirty  Philistines  in  order 
to  obtain  garments  with  which  to  pay  his  wager ;  he  then  abandoned  his  wife  and  went  up  to 
Zorah  (Sur'ah,  see  page  149).  Some  time  after,  during  wheat  harvest,  he  prepared  to  visit  his 
wife  with  a  peace  offering,  but  found  that  she  was  married  to  another.  Then  he  determined  to 
be  revenged  upon  the  Philistines,  and  caught  three  hundred  foxes  and  tied  them  two  and  two, 
and  put  a  firebrand  in  the  midst.  And  when  he  had  set  the  brands  on  fire  he  let  the  foxes  go 
into  the  standing  corn  of  the  Philistines,  and  burnt  up  both  the  shocks  and  also  the  standing 
corn,  with  the  vineyards  and  olives.  The  corn  in  Philistia  at  the  time  of  harvest  may  be  seen 
in  unbroken  expanses  for  many  miles  in  extent,  on  the  undulating  plains  and  in  the  valleys, 
and  on  the  terraces  of  the  hills,  and  a  conflagration  once  kindled  would  be  most  difficult  to 
arrest.  It  would  probably  extend  over  all  the  land  of  Philistia,  and  reduce  the  people  to 
starvation.  The  question  naturally  arises  as  to  whether  the  people  of  Israel  would  have 
suffered  from  this  act  of  Samson,  but  it  will  be  noticed,  on  reference  to  a  map  representing 
Palestine  at  this  period,  that  they  lived  entirely  in  the  high  lands,  and  would  be  exempt  from 
this  devastating  calamity. 

At  the  present  day  during  the  harvest  time  the  people  are  obliged  to  adopt  the  most 
stringent  measures  to  prevent  any  accidental  conflagration  among  the  expanses  of  standing 
corn. 

Our  next  detailed  account  relating  to  the  southern  part  of  Philistia  is  that  concerning  the 
journeys  of  the  ark  after  it  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  the  Philistines  at  Eben-ezer,  near 
Aphek,  when  the  sons  of  Eli  were  killed.  And  the  ark  was  taken  from  the  mountains  about 
Eben-ezer  down  to  Ashdod  in  the  plains,  and  it  was  brought  into  the  house  of  Dagon  ;  and  in 
the  morning  the  people  of  Ashdod  found  that  their  god,  Dagon,  was  fallen  upon  his  face  to  the 
earth  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord.  And  they  took  Dagon  and  set  him  in  his  place  again, 
and  were  much  troubled  about  the  matter.  And  on  the  following  morning  again  Dagon  was 
found  to  have  fallen  with  his  face  to  the  ground  before  the  ark  of  the  Lord,  and  was  broken, 
and  the  people  of  Ashdod  (see  page  165)  and  the  surrounding  district  were  smitten  with 
emerods.  And  when  the  people  saw  that  this  was  on  account  of  the  ark  being  among  them, 
they  summoned  a  council  and  decided  that  the  ark  should  be  taken  across  the  plain  to  Gath 
(see  page  161),  at  the  foot  of  the  hills.     And  the  people  of  Gath  suffered  in  like  manner  for 


PHILISTIA. 


x55 


holding  the  ark  in  possession,  therefore  they  sent  the  ark  to  Ekron  ;  and  the  people  of  Ekron 
were  afraid,  for  there  was  a  deadly  destruction  throughout  all  the  city,  and  the  hand  of  God 
was  heavy  on  them.  And  after  the  ark  had  been  seven  months  among  the  Philistines  they 
called  for  their  priests,  asking  them  what  they  should  do  with  it,  and  how  they  could  get  rid 


'AIN   SHEMS,  THE   SITE  OF   BETH-SHEMESH. 

South  of  the  VVady  es  Sur'ar  (Sorek),  and  nearly  opposite  to  Sur'ah  (Zorah).    The  ancient  and  modern  names  Beth-shemesh  (House  of  the  Sun) 

and  'Ain  Shems  (Eye  of  the  Sun)  are  indicative  of  sun-worship. 

of  it.  And  they  were  told  to  make  a  new  cart,  and  take  two  milch  kine,  on  which  there  had 
come  no  yoke,  and  tie  the  kine  to  the  cart  and  take  their  calves  home  from  them.  And  the 
Philistines  did  this,  and  took  the  ark  in  the  cart  with  the  milch  kine  out  from  Ekron  ('Akir)  to 
a  place  where  three  roads  met,  and  then  left  it.     And  the  milch  kine,  instead  of  returning  to 


THE   VALLEY   OF  SOREK. 
Where  the  men  of  Beth-shemesh  were  reaping  their  wheat  harvest  when  the  ark  arrived  from  Ekron. 

their  calves  or  going  on  into  the  plain  of  Philistia,  turned  up  the  Valley  of  Sorek,  and,  passing 
between  Timnath  (see  page  156)  and  Zorah  (see  page  149),  arrived  opposite  to  Beth-shemesh 
(1  Samuel  vi.  12),  on  the  south  side  of  the  valley,  then  in  the  hands  of  the  Israelites.  Now 
Beth-shemesh  was  a  suburban  city  allotted  to  the  children  of  Aaron.      And  the  people  were 


i56 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


reaping  their  wheat  harvest  in  the  valley,  when  they  lifted  up  their  eyes  and  saw  the  ark 
approach  (see  page  155).  And  the  cart  came  into  the  field  of  Joshua,  and  the  Levites  among 
them  set  down  the  ark  upon  the  great  stone  of  Abel, 
and  offered  burnt  offerings  and  sacrifices  unto  the 
Lord.  Now  the  five  lords  of  the  Philistines  had 
followed  the  ark  until  they  arrived  at  the  border  of 
Beth-shemesh,  and  when  they  had  seen  the  ark  in 
possession  of  the  Israelites  they  returned  to  Ekron 
(Akir)  the  same  day.  And  the  people  of  Beth- 
shemesh  suffered,  as  did  the  Philistines,  because 
they  looked  into  the  ark  of  the  Lord  ;  and  they  sent 


«...  <  r 


TIBNEH,   THE   SITE   OF  TIMNATH. 

The  home  of  Samson's  wife,  and  the  scene  of  his  encounter  with  the  young  lion 
in  the  vineyard. 


messengers  to  the  people  of  Kirjath-jearim,  which  lay  about  ten  miles  farther  to  the  east,  in 
the  mountains  of  Judah.  And  the  men  of  Kirjath-jearim  came  and  fetched  up  the  ark  of  the 
Lord  out  of  Beth-shemesh.  Beth-shemesh  was  in  after  years  the  scene  of  a  contest  between 
Jehoash,  King  of  Israel,  and  Amaziah,  King  of  Judah,  when  the  people  of  Judah  were  put  to 
flight  and  their  king  taken  prisoner  (see  2  Kings  xiv.  13,  and  Josephus,  "Ant."  chap.  be).  And 
afterwards,  in  the  days  of  King  Ahaz,  it  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  Philistines  (2  Chronicles 


PHILISTIA. 


'57 


xxviii.  18).     It  is  now  known  under  the  name  of  'Ain  Shems,  but  there  is  no  fountain 
found  there  at  the  present 
day  (seepage  155). 

One  of  the  most  in- 
teresting    incidents     re- 
corded in  the  early  history 
of  the  Israelites  in  Pales- 
tine is  the  passage  at  arms 
between  Goliath  of  Gath 
and  the  youthful   David 
in   the   Valley  of  Elah. 
This  valley,  now  recog- 
nised as  Wady  es  Sur  or 
Es  Sunt  (see  engraving), 
commences  in  the  moun- 
tains of  Judah,  near  He- 
bron (see  page  192),  and 
descending     rapidly    to- 
wards the  north,  divides 
them    from   the   hills   of 
Philistia    to     the     west. 
After  about  ten  miles  it 
bends  round  to  the  west, 
and   is  here  crossed   by 
the   main    road    leading 
from  Gaza  to  Jerusalem  ; 
that  road  by  which  the 
Egyptians      of     ancient 
times    gained     the     hill 
country,  and  by  which  the 
Bedawin  of  the  present 
day   make    their    forays 
upon  the  villages  in  the 
mountains.       Hitherto  it 
has     been    a    somewhat 
broad  valley,  with  parallel 
lines   of   hills    on  either 
side,   but    after    passing 
Shocoh    (Shuweikeh)  on 
vol.  in. 


to  be 


158  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

the  left  (see  page  159),  it  narrows  considerably,  and  winds  in  and  out  through  a  somewhat 
narrow  gorge  for  some  miles  until  it  enters  the  more  open  plain  near  Tell  es  Safy.  This 
Valley  of  Elah  (or  the  Terebinth)  at  the  present  day  contains,  near  Shocoh  (Shuweikeh),  one 
of  the  largest  terebinth-trees  in  Palestine,  fifty-five  feet  in  height,  with  a  spread  of  shade 
seventy-five  feet  in  diameter,  and  a  trunk  seventeen  feet  in  circumference  (see  page  159).  The 
bottom  of  this  valley,  near  Shocoh,  is  a  fine  fertile  plain,  cultivated  as  corn-fields,  and  here  it 
was  that  the  encounter  between  David  and  Goliath  took  place,  the  Philistines  standing  on  a 
mountain  on  one  side,  and  Israel  on  a  mountain  on  the  other,  with  the  valley  between  them. 
The  people  of  Israel  came  down  from  the  mountains  and  were  to  the  north-east,  while  the 
Philistines  concentrating  from  the  plains  were  on  the  south-west,  army  against  army  in  battle 
array.  Gath,  famous  for  its  giants,  had  given  to  the  Philistines  a  champion  called  Goliath,  ten 
feet  in  height,  clad  in  a  coat  of  mail,  with  a  helmet  of  brass,  and  the  staff  of  his  spear  was 
like  a  weaver's  beam  ;  and  the  spear's  head  weighed  six  hundred  shekels  of  iron.  For  forty 
days  were  these  two  armies  face  to  face,  and  for  forty  days  did  Goliath  call  to  the  armies 
of  Israel,  "  I  defy  the  armies  of  Israel  this  day;  give  me  a  man,  that  we  may  fight  together." 
And  all  Israel  were  greatly  afraid,  for  a  champion  who  could  cope  with  Goliath  was  unknown 
(1  Samuel  xvii.). 

While  the  people  of  Israel  were  "  dismayed  and  greatly  afraid,"  there  arrived  in  camp  the 
youthful  David,  who,  when  he  had  heard  of  the  challenge  of  Goliath,  asked  what  should  be  done 
for  the  man  who  killed  the  Philistine,  and  took  away  the  reproach  from  Israel,  and  was  told  in 
reply  that  the  king  would  enrich  him  and  give  him  his  daughter,  and  make  his  father's  house 
free  in  Israel.  And  David  was  brought  before  Saul  and  offered  to  fight  with  the  Philistine. 
Now  in  this  personal  combat,  thus  contemplated,  there  was  not  only  the  danger  to  the  life  of 
David  to  be  considered,  but  also  to  the  whole  people  of  Israel,  for  if  the  Philistine  conquered 
they  were  to  be  servants  to  the  Philistines.  The  consequences  were,  therefore,  so  momentous 
that  Saul  required  a  pledge  as  to  David's  ability  and  prowess.  David  recounted  his  adventures 
with  a  lion  and  a  bear,  in  each  of  which  combats  he  was  victorious,  and  Saul  admitted  his  claim 
to  act  as  champion,  and  bid  him  go  against  the  Philistine.  This  circumstance  shows  clearly 
that  the  people  of  Israel  were  on  the  verge  of  a  panic,  on  the  point  of  giving  in,  otherwise  they 
would  not  have  so  desperately  adventured  their  safety  to  a  comparatively  unknown  champion, 
to  a  youth  totally  unversed  in  the  arts  of  war ;  but  it  also  shows  us  something  more— they 
permitted  David  to  go  to  the  encounter  without  armour,  and  knew  that  he  was  about  to  enter 
the  lists  trusting  in  the  assistance  of  the  God  of  Israel.  It  is  clear  from  this  that  the  people 
as  a  body  still  thoroughly  believed  in  their  God,  and  trusted  to  David  as  His  instrument: — 
"  And  David  put  his  hand  in  his  bag,  and  took  thence  a  stone,  and  slang  it,  and  smote  the 
Philistine  in  his  forehead,  and  slew  him.  And  when  the  Philistines  saw  their  champion  was 
dead,  they  fled ;  and  the  Israelites  pursued  them  even  to  Gath  and  Ekron,  and  spoiled  their 
tents."  At  the  present  day  the  account  of  this  victory  of  David  can  be  read  and  studied 
on  the  spot,  and  all  the  incidents  realised ;    for  the  ancient  sites  are  still  in  existence,  and 


PHILISTIA. 


'59 


the  habits  of  the  people  are  as  in  former  days.     It  is  not  unusual  at  the  present  day  to  meet 


SHOCOH,  THE   CAMP  OF  THE   PHILISTINES. 

This  site,  now  called  Shuweikeh,  is  marked  by  extensive  ruins,  large  terebinth- 

trees,  and  a  Muhammedan  shrine  dedicated  to  Sheikh  Aba  Helal. 

with  shepherds  so  skilful  with  their  slings  that  they  can 
easily  bring  down  birds  at  a  distance  of  several  yards. 

The   royal  city  of  Gath   (see  page  161)  is  generally  admitted   to  have  stood  on   the 

Y    2 


i6o 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


conspicuous  hill  now  called  Tell  es  Safy,  on  which  was  built  the  important  fortress  of  Blanche- 
garde  by  King  Fulke  during  the  Crusades  (see  page  161).  It  lies  about  sixteen  miles  from 
the  seashore,  and  is  situated  on  the  extremity  of  one  of  the  spurs  of  the  hills  of  Philistia,  as 
they  melt  down  into  the  undulating  plains.  It  obtained  the  name  of  Alba  Specula  during  the 
Middle  Ages  on  account  of  the  glaring  white  chalk  cliff  or  scarp  which  surrounds  it,  and 
which  is  most  conspicuous  for  many  miles  to  the  south-west.  It  was  a  most  important 
stronghold  of  the  Philistines,  and  com- 
manded the  mouth  of  the  Valley  of 
Elah,  from  whence  there  went  a  main 
road  to  Jerusalem.  Gath  is  not  very 
frequently  mentioned  except  in  con- 
nection with  the  other  royal  cities  of 
the  Philistines,  and  is  chiefly  interesting 
as  having  been  a  place  of  resort  which 


\>? 


PLOUGHING   IN   THE   PLAINS   OF   PHILISTIA, 

In  the  neighbourhood  of  Tell  es  Safy.     Ploughing  and  sowing  for  winter  crops  extends  from 
the  end  of  November  to  the  middle  of  January,  or  later. 

King  David  frequented  during  his  troubles  ;  here  out  of  fear  of 
Achish  "he  feigned  himself  mad,  and  scrabbled  on  the  doors 
of  the  gate  ; "  and  here  again,  some  years  later,  he  was  received 

with  honour  by  the  Philistine  king,  and  again  out  of  Gath  came  one  of  David's  most  faithful 
of  followers  and  firmest  of  friends,  Ittai  the  Gittite  (2  Samuel  xv.  19 — 23).  When  Gath 
was  rebuilt  under  the  name  of  Blanchegarde,  it  played  a  most  important  part  in  the  wars  of 
the  Crusades,  and  was  witness  to  some  of  the  chief  adventures  of  Richard  Plantagenet  with 
the  Saracens  who  infested  the  plain.  The  hill  on  which  the  city  stood  is  about  two  hundred 
feet  above  the  surrounding  plain,  and  is  of  an  irregular  shape.  A  modern  wely  rests  on  the 
highest  level,  and  around  are  the  remains  of  the  ruined  castle,  and  some  large  stones  forming 


PHILISTIA. 


161 


portions  of  the  terraces  which  cover  the  hill.  It  appears  in  a  great  measure  to  have  been 
scarped  all  round,  though  the  rubbish  from  the  ruins  has  fallen  over  and  covered  up  the  old 
fortifications  (see  engraving).  Here,  as  in 
many  adjoining  villages,  there  are  extensive 
well-cut  cisterns ;  the  vines  still  grow 
luxuriantly  on  the  terraces  and  the  olive- 
trees  on  the  hillsides.  In  the  valley  and  on 
the  plain  around  are  tracts  of  corn-fields 
stretching  as  far  as  the  eye  can  reach,  and  in 
the  middle  of  June  all  the  people  are  in  the 
fields  bringing  in  the  corn  to 
the  threshing-floors  (see  page 
1 60). 

Passing  over  the  swelling 
plains    of    Philistia,    at    about 


TELL  ES   SAFY,  THE   SUPPOSED  SITE  OF  GATH. 

An  isolated  hill  of  irregular  form  sixteen  miles  from  the  seashore.  A  shrine  dedicated  to  El  Khudr  (St.  George) 
stands  on  its  highest  point,  six  hundred  and  ninety-three  feet  above  the  sea.  The  Roman  road  runs 
north  and  south  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Tell. 

eighteen  miles  to  the  north-west  of  the  city  of  Gath  we  arrive  at  the 

site  of  the  ancient  Jabneh  (see   page   162),  a    town  of  the   Philistines, 

situated  on  a  slight  eminence  on  the  west  bank  of  the  Valley  of  Sorek 

(Wady  es  Sur'ar),  about  four  miles  from  the  sea-coast.     It  is  now  called 

Yabneh.     This  city  is  mentioned  as  having  been  taken  by  assault  and 

its  wall  broken  down  by  the  forces  under  Uzziah,  King  of  Judah,  and  it 

is  subsequently  spoken  of  as  a  fenced  city  by  F.  Josephus  ;  but  it  did  not 

prominently  come  into  notice  until  just  before  the  great  siege  of  Jerusalem 

by  Titus,  when  it  became  the  residence  of  many  of  the  members  of  the  Sanhedrin,  and  during 

the  first  and  second  centuries  of  our  era  was  famous  as  the  great  theological  and  legal  seminary 

of  the  Jews.     The  Sanhedrin  had  previously  assembled  in  the  Chamber  (Gazith)  of  the  Court 


162 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


of  Israel,  in  the  Temple  at  Jerusalem,  but  at  the  time  of  the  siege  by  Titus  its  members  were 
permitted  by  him  to  proceed  to  Jabneh,  under  Gamaliel,  their  Nasi,  a.d.  70.  This  school,  after 
the  demolition  of  the  Temple,  obtained  great  authority  over  the  Jews  who  were  left  in 
Palestine,  owing  to  the  rank  and  position  of  the  learned  Gamaliel  and  other  members  of  the 
Sanhedrin  located  there,  and  in  a  large  measure  served  to  prevent  the  extinction  of  the  Jews 
as  a  nation,  and  to  keep  in  their  minds  the  prospect  of  the  Messiah's  advent.' 

The  influence  of  the  Rabbins  over  the  minds  of  the  people  was  at  this  time  complete,  not 
only  in  the  religious  services  and  in  the  superintendence  of  education,  but  also  in  all  matters 
connected  with  domestic  life.      The  Romans  felt  this,  and  realised  that  they  had  not  yet 


YABNEH,   THE   ANCIENT  JABNEH. 
Called  also  Jabneel,  and  by  the  Greeks  Jamnia.    It  is  a  large  village, 
four  miles  from  the  seashore,  surrounded  by  orchards.     Its 
mosque  was  once  a  Christian  church.    Its  port,  once  the  rival 
of  Joppa,  has  now  almost  entirely  disappeared. 

succeeded  in  incorporating  the  Jews  into 
the  Empire :  consequently,  early  in  the 
reign  of  Hadrian,  an  edict  was  issued  cal- 
culated to  suppress  Judaism  and  to  remove 
all  power  out  of  the  hands  of  the  Rabbins. 

The  rites  and  existing  ceremonies  of  the  Jews  were  interdicted,  and  it  was  declared  that 
Jerusalem  should  be  established  as  a  Roman  colony,  and  the  site  of  its  Holy  Place  adorned 
with  a  temple  dedicated  to  Jupiter. 

The  Rabbins  of  Jabneh  (Yabneh)  saw  on  the  one  hand  entire  annihilation  of  their 
schools,  and  consequently  of  the  national  life  of  the  Jews ;  on  the  other  hand,  they  kept  in 
view  the  prospect  of  success  in  a  sanguinary  struggle  with  the  Romans.  With  great  astuteness 
they  seized  upon  this  moment  for  the  proclamation  of  the  advent  of  the  long-looked- for 
Messiah.  The  star  that  should  "  arise  out  of  Jacob  "  was  at  hand,  who  should  govern  the  Jews 
with  great  power  and  majesty.  His  name,  Barcochaba  (the  Son  of  a  Star),  fulfilled  the 
prophecy.     He  was  a  man  of  considerable  force  of  character,  and  the  great  and  learned  Rabbi 


PHILISTIA.  163 

Akiba  acknowledged  him  as  the  Messiah.  The  revolt  commenced  in  a.d.  130.  Jews  flocked 
to  his  standard  from  all  parts  of  the  world ;  the  whole  Hebrew  race  was  in  a  state  of  ferment 
at  the  news  of  his  advent.  Barcochaba  advanced  against  the  Romans  at  the  head  of  a  large 
body  of  insurgents,  and  at  first  was  constantly  successful ;  he  even  captured  Jerusalem,  and  held 
it  for  the  space  of  three  years.  It  is  said  that  he  was  at  the  head  of  an  army  of  two  hundred 
thousand  fighting  men,  and  though  this  is  probably  an  exaggeration,  it  is  worthy  of  note  that 
Strabo  states  that  so  great  was  the  population  about  Jabneh,  that  this  district  in  his  time  could 
furnish  forty  thousand  fighting  men.  It  is  not  necessary  to  follow  the  fortunes  of  Barcochaba, 
and  to  watch  how  quickly  the  star  of  this  false  Messiah  set  for  ever,  until  even  his  name 
was  changed  by  his  aggrieved  and  despairing  countrymen  to  that  of  Barcosba  (the  Son  of 
a  Lie). 

At  the  termination  of  this  unsuccessful  revolt  the  whole  of  the  Rabbins  of  Jabneh  were 
barbarously  persecuted  by  the  Romans,  as  the  ringleaders  of  the  insurrection,  and  were 
forbidden  to  fill  up  the  vacancies  in  the  Sanhedrin,  an  order  which  they  managed  to  evade. 
After  the  death  of  Hadrian,  and  on  the  accession  of  the  gentle  Antoninus,  the  Rabbins  were 
emboldened  to  re-establish  their  synagogues  and  to  re-open  the  school  at  Jabneh  (Jamnia),  but 
in  consequence  of  the  indiscretion  of  the  rabbi  Simon  Ben  Jochai,  in  speaking  evil  of  the 
Roman  authorities,  the  school  was  suppressed  and  the  Sanhedrin  wandered  to  other  places  in 
Palestine.  Benjamin  of  Tudela  asserts  that  even  in  his  day  (a.d.  1163),  the  site  of  these 
schools  could  still  be  traced.  During  the  time  of  the  Crusades  a  fort  was  here  established 
called  Ibelin,  the  site  being  admirably  adapted  for  a  work  of  defence. 

Jabneh  became  the  site  of  a  bishopric,  and  its  mediaeval  church  is  now  converted  into  a 
Muhammedan  mosque  (see  page  162).  This  ancient  site  (called  by  the  Arabs  Yabneh)  is 
now  occupied  by  3  flourishing  town,  numbering  about  two  thousand  inhabitants,  principally 
Muhammedans,  and  on  the  coast,  at  a  distance  of  four  miles,  is  still  to  be  seen  the  remains 
of  the  ancient  port,  or  Maju-ma,  of  Jabneh,  mentioned  by  Pliny.  If  we  turn  to  the  south  from 
this  port  and  traverse  the  sea-coast  there  is  little  of  interest  for  some  miles.  The  rich  lands 
of  Philistia  for  three  to  four  miles  inland  are  covered  to  a  depth  of  thirty  to  forty  feet  with 
ever-increasing  heights  of  sand  dunes,  blown  eastward  by  the  sea  breeze,  and  threatening  ere 
long  to  engulf  the  whole  lowland  districts  if  steps  are  not  taken  to  obviate  the  growing  evil. 
It  is  a  truly  melancholy  sight,  when  travelling  over  this  once  densely  populated  country,  to  find 
little  remaining  save  here  and  there  a  fellah's  solitary  hut,  surrounded  by  walls  of  sand  which 
have  from  day  to  day  to  be  battled  and  wrestled  with.  With  wonderful  tenacity  of  purpose 
these  fellahin  continue  the  struggle  until  at  last  they  are  driven  out  of  the  inheritance  of  their 
forefathers.  In  some  cases  the  sand  has  so  far  got  the  upper  hand  that  nothing  is  left  of  the 
cultivated  lands,  the  most  strenuous  labour  being  only  sufficient  to  preserve  a  few  remaining 
fruit  trees  from  the  general  destruction.  These  are  to  be  seen  each  at  the  bottom  of  a  crater 
of  sand,  laden  with  delicious  fruit. 

After  proceeding  about  eleven  miles  along  the  coast  a  sandstone  town  or  barrack  is  met 


1 64  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

with,  which  probably  marks  the  ancient  site  of  the  port  of  Ashdod,  of  which  nothing  now  is 
visible  ;  and  about  five  miles  farther  to  the  south  the  low  line  of  coast  is  seen  to  develop  into  a 
bold  cliff,  which  increases  in  picturesqueness  as  it  is  approached,  and  on  which  are  the  remains 
of  "  Ascalon  by  the  Sea"  (see  page  173).  But  here  we  turn  off  to  view  the  modern  Mejdel, 
identified  as  Migdol  (see  page  167),  Gad  of  the  Philistines,  and  even  as  Magdala,  mentioned  by 
Herodotus  (xi.  159),  when  Pharaoh- Neco  engaged  the  Syrians  by  land  and  conquered  them. 
Mejdel  is  now  the  site  of  the  government  of  the  district  about  Ascalon,  and  is  a  •flourishing 
country  town.  It  possesses  a  mosque  with  a  tall  minaret,  large  stone  houses,  and  a  bazaar. 
It  is  surrounded  by  groves  of  large  olive-trees,  and  undulating  plains  covered  with  cereals, 
interspersed  with  palm,  walnut,  and  fig  trees.  The  soil  around  is  very  rich,  and  the  people 
are  industrious,  watering  their  crops  from  deep  wells,  in  some  of  which  the  water  is  one 
hundred  and  twenty  feet  below  the  surface.  In  many  instances  the  wells  are  common  to  the 
whole  village.  The  water  is  brought  to  the  surface  by  means  of  a  "  Persian  wheel  "  or  "  naura," 
which  is  worked  by  camels  or  oxen,  provided  in  turn  by  the  various  heads  of  families 
(identical  with  the  "  sakiyeh,"  see  pages  81  and  132). 

Not  far  from  Mejdel  is  the  site  of  Ascalon  (see  page  169),  whose  general  position  is 
well  known,  but  the  exact  site  of  which  has  not  as  yet  been  identified.  It  was  one  of  the 
royal  cities  of  the  Philistines  when  the  children  of  Israel  entered  the  Promised  Land,  and 
remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Philistines  until  the  time  of  the  Jewish  captivity.  Ascalon  is 
described  by  Herodotus  as  having  possessed  the  most  ancient  of  all  the  temples  erected  to 
Venus,  or  Derceto,  the  mother  of  Semiramis.  She  was  represented  as  a  woman  above  the 
waist,  with  termination  in  shape  of  a  fish-tail,  a  female  counterpart  to  Dagon.  Ascalon,  like 
other  towns  of  the  Philistines,  had  its  seaport,  now  called  "  Ascalon  by  the  Sea."  This  town 
came  prominently  into  notice  in  the  time  of  Herod  the  Great,  who  adorned  it  with  public 
baths  and  fountains  and  palaces ;  here  his  sister  Salome  resided.*  During  the  wars  of  the 
Jews  with  the  Romans,  the  former  suffered  a  great  defeat  here  at  the  hand  of  Antonius. 

At  an  early  period  Ascalon  was  made  the  seat  of  a  bishopric,  and  owing  to  its 
advantageous  position  and  strong  walls  it  became  the  most  important  fortress  in  Palestine 
during  the  Middle  Ages,  and  during  the  Crusades  was  a  thorn  in  the  side  of  the  Christians, 
as  it  had  been  to  the  Jews  when  in  possession  of  the  Philistines.  It  was  around  Ascalon 
that  the  great  battle  took  place  between  the  Egyptian  army  and  the  Crusaders  under 
Godfrey.  Godfrey  of  Lorraine,  after  the  capture  of  Jerusalem,  was  just  elected  King  by  the 
army  of  the  Crusaders,  when  intelligence  arrived  that  a  vast  army  of  Egyptians  had  crossed 
the  desert  into  Palestine,  to  annihilate  the  Christians  and  raise  again  the  standard  of  Islam. 
Hurriedly  the  Christian  army  was  assembled  and  collected  in  battle  array  near  Ramleh, 
prepared  to  dispute  the  passage  of  the  Egyptian  invaders  (see  page  148).     Raymond  took  up  a 

*  In  the  year  1815,  Lady  Hester  Stanhope  having  procured  a  firman  from  the  Turkish  authorities,  instituted  a  search  for  antiquities  among 
the  ruins  of  'Askfilan  (Ascalon).  Among  other  objects  then  brought  to  light  was  a  colossal  statue  of  a  Roman  emperor,  probably  one  of  Augustus 
erected  by  Herod.  Unfortunately  it  was  broken  to  pieces  by  the  excited  workpeople,  who  apparently  expected  to  find  some  wonderful  treasure 
concealed  within  it.— M.  E.  R. 


PHILISTIA. 


165 


VOL     III. 


z 


1 66  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

position  on  the  sea-coast,  Godfrey  invested  Ascalon  with  five  thousand  cavalry  and  infantry, 
while  Tancred  and  the  two  Roberts  directed  the  attack  upon  the  enemy.  Gallantly  the 
Christians  charged  their  swarthy  antagonists,  who  exceeded  them  greatly  in  numbers.  It  is 
related  that  large  flocks  of  sheep  and  herds  of  cattle  accompanied  the  Christians  from  the 
mountains,  and  these  were  mistaken  by  the  Muhammedans  for  the  Christian  reserve  forces, 
apparently  so  numerous  that  when  the  first  collision  took  place  a  panic  arose  among  them 
and  they  fled  in  all  directions,  hotly  pursued  by  the  Christians.  Some  fled  to  the  seashore 
and  were  there  put  to  death  by  Raymond,  while  others  perished  in  the  desert.  One 
portion  attempted  to  escape  into  Ascalon,  but  were  intercepted  by  Godfrey  and  killed.  On 
the  destruction  of  this  vast  army  Godfrey  now  laid  siege  to  Ascalon,  but  was  in  a  short 
time  obliged  to  raise  the  siege  again  in  consequence  of  the  quarrels  among  his  knights,  and 
Ascalon  still  remained  in  the  hands  of  the  Muhammedans,  a  standing  menace  to  Jerusalem. 

In  a.d.  1 1 24  the  Muhammedans  made  an  ineffectual  raid  from  Ascalon  upon  Jerusalem, 
while  the  Christians  were  endeavouring  to  subdue  Tyre.  It  was  not  until  a.d.  1153  that 
Ascalon  was  taken  from  the  Muhammedans.  Then  Baldwin  III.  laid  siege  to  it,  determined 
to  capture  it  at  all  hazards ;  he  completely  invested  the  fortress  both  by  sea  and  land,  and  for 
two  months  carried  on  extensive  siege  operations.  During  this  period  he  omitted  to  observe 
the  Easter  festival,  and  ordered  all  the  pilgrims  in  the  land  to  hasten  to  the  assistance  of  the 
investing  army.  The  Muhammedans  defended  the  walls  with  the  utmost  gallantry,  and  when 
at  last  they  were  obliged  to  submit  they  were  enabled  to  make  their  own  terms  and  march 
out  of  the  fortress  with  all  the  honours  of  war.  .   . 

In  a  few  years  the  cause  of  Christendom  languished,  and  under  the  leadership  of  the 
Sultan  Saladin  the  followers  of  Islam  recaptured  many  of  the  cities  of  Syria.  Among  others 
Ascalon  was  the  last  to  capitulate  previous  to  the  march  of  the  Muhammedans  upon  Jerusalem 
(a.d.  i  187).  In  1 1 90  Saladin  determined  to  destroy  the  fortifications  of  Ascalon,  lest  it  should 
again  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  Christians ;  accordingly,  under  his  directions,  this  magnificent 
fortress  became  in  a  short  time  a  heap  of  ruins  (see  page  169).  During  the  Third  Crusade  the 
walls  of  Ascalon  were  rebuilt  by  the  Christians,  in  which  work  Richard  Plantagenet  took  a 
special  interest,  part  of  the  expenses  being  defrayed  by  a  subscription  from  the  ladies  of 
England.  In  the  year  1270  the  walls  were  again  totally  destroyed  by  the  Sultan  Bibars. 
The  walls  of  Ascalon  are  still  standing  in  places  (see  page  173),  but  they  are  of  small-sized 
pieces  of  indurated  sandstone ;  here  and  there  may  be  seen  remains  of  the  massive  blocks 
which  formed  the  old  walls,  which  for  the  most  part  have  been  carried  away  for  the  building 
of  other  sites.  Columns  of  granite,  seventeen  to  eighteen  feet  in  length  and  two  and  a  half 
feet  in  diameter,  are  to  be  seen  projecting  from  the  faces  of  the  walls.  Ascalon  is  still  used 
as  a  seaport  in  a  small  way  (see  page  172),  and  exports  bones  and  pottery.  The  neighbourhood 
is  very  fertile;  groups  of  palm-trees  give  a  picturesque  aspect  to  the  place  (see  page  169). 
Vines,  olives,  and  many  kinds  of  fruit,  including  apples,  are  cultivated  by  the  inhabitants  of 
El  Jurah,  a  small  village  north-east  of  the  group  of  ruins  now  called  'Askiilan. 


THE  SOUTH    COUNTRY 
OF  JUD^A. 


'"~pHE  entering  in"  of  the  Land  of  Promise 
*-  from  the  south  is  as  featureless  and  un- 
picturesque  as  "  the  entering  in  of  Hamath  "  from 
the  north.  Yet  to  every  traveller  from  Egypt 
the  first  glimpse  of  "the  south  land,"  as  it  melts 
,  into  the  Philistian  plain,  must  indeed  be  welcome 
and  refreshing.     We  have  called  it  "the  entering 


EL   MEJDEL,   THE   ANCIENT   MIGDOL. 
An  important  village  of  fifteen  hundred  inhabitants.    Its  mosque  and  tall  minaret  are  constructed  of  ancient  materials.   A  weekly 

Z    2 


fair  is  held  here. 


168  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

in,"  and  so  for  ages  it  has  been  :  the  route  taken  alike  by  warriors  and  merchants,  the  gate  of 
the  thoroughfare  between  Egypt  and  Assyria,  the  rival  empires  of  the  East.  Before  the 
introduction  of  steamers  few  travellers  entered  Palestine  by  any  other  road,  save  those  who 
undertook  the  long  desert  journey  by  Sinai  and  Petra.  From  the  Nile  to  Wady  el  Arish  is  a 
dreary  desert  journey  of  nine  days,  but  now  we  have  entered  the  boundary  of  Simeon,  and  a 
few  villages  surrounded  by  palm  and  olive  trees  near  the  shore  are  gratefully  refreshing  to  the 
eye,  while  scanty  verdure  takes  the  place  of  sandy  wastes.  When  we  have  reached  the  last  of 
these  villages,  Deir  el  Belah,  the  "  convent  of  the  dates,"  we  are  in  the  true  pastoral  country  of 
the  patriarchs.  The  country  is  broken  up  by  frequent  wadys  and  rounded  hills,  few  showing 
any  cliffs  or  rocks,  but  all  covered  with  turf,  chequered  by  wide  unfenced  tracts  of  cornland,  and 
dotted  with  many  a  black  encampment  of  Bedawin.  The  common  notion  that  this  southern 
region  is  desert  is  at  once  dispelled.  But.  covered  though  it  be  with  countless  flocks,  not  a  tree 
relieves  the  monotony  of  the  green  expanse,  and  it  is  doubtful  if  this  district  was  ever  wooded 
as  the  inland  region  east  of  Beersheba  (see  page  209)  certainly  was  in  early  ages.  Most  of  the 
streams  are  dry  in  summer,  and  the  dependence  of  the  Arabs  is  on  wells,  always  carefully 
concealed,  and  seldom  known  except  to  the  tribe  which  claims  the  pasturage.  Three  hours 
south-east  of  Gaza  (see  page  175),  and  two  hours  to  the  east  of  the  road  from  Egypt,  is  a 
featureless  low  ridge,  rising  north  of  a  shallow  valley,  and  commanding  a  wide  view  on  all  sides, 
which  claims  a  visit  from  its  historical  associations.  The  Bedawin  have  no  tradition  respecting 
it,  but  its  name  has  come  down  unchanged  for  four  thousand  years,  Jerar,  the  Gerar  of  Genesis, 
the  favourite  camping-place  of  the  patriarch  Isaac.  Four  miles  before  reaching  the  Wady 
Guzzeh,  as  the  combined  watercourses  of  the  Wady  es  Seba,  or  Valley  of  Beersheba,  and  the 
more  northern  Wady  Sheriar  are  called,  we  leave  the  caravan  road  ten  miles  south  of  Gaza 
and  strike  east  over  what  seems  a  boundless  expanse  of  rolling  treeless  downs.  Crossing  the 
Wady  es  Seba  and  then  the  Sheriar,  in  both  of  which  a  copious  stream  was  flowing  at  the 
beginning  of  February,  we  rode  on,  sometimes  on  turf  brilliant  with  a  mass  of  scarlet  anemones, 
sometimes  over  plots  of  young  wheat  painted  with  various  yellow  flowers,  till  we  reached  the 
flat-topped  mound,  or  "  tell,"  commanding  a.  splendid  view  from  Beersheba  eastward,  to  the 
sea  on  the  west — Abu  Jerar.  Wells  are  its  only  visible  ruins.  The  turf  is  scarcely  broken  by 
faint  traces  of  foundations,  and  the  soil  is  full  of  fragments  of  coarse  pottery,  certain  indications 
of  a  former  extensive  occupation.  The  wells  stud  the  top  and  sides  of  the  hill  down  to  the 
bottom  of  the  valley.  All  are  more  or  less  filled  in,  some  of  them  even  with  the  surface — 
perhaps  the  wells  of  Abraham,  choked  by  Abimelech's  herdsmen.  Some  were  filled  only  up 
to  a  depth  of  twelve  or  twenty  feet,  showing  the  lower  part  cut  in  the  rock  and  the  upper 
portion  cemented ;  evidently  later  work,  as  the  cement  has  many  fragments  of  pottery  in  it. 
Many  were  roofed  with  low  cupolas  of  very  small  masonry  with  a  hole  in  the  centre.  Only 
two  of  them  are  perfect,  the  others  being  more  or  less  broken  in.  We  found  water  in  two 
only  of  nineteen  wells  which  we  examined.  Many  of  them  seem  to  have  been  purposely  filled 
in  and  utilised,  after  they  were  cemented,  as  storehouses  by  the  Bedawin.     The  hill  must  have 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD&A. 


169 


been  an  admirable  look-out  station  whence  Isaac  could  watch  his  flocks  and  servants.  There 
are  traces  of  the  foundations  of  a  keep,  but  this  is  evidently  later  work. 

The  ride  across  the  downs  from  Jerar  to  Gaza  (see  page  175),  though  without  grand 
scenery,  is  full  of  interest.  The  district  abounds  in  wild  animals.  The  gazelles  may  be 
seen  bounding  on  every  hill.  The  fox  and  the  jackal  start  up  at  every  turn,  and  one  long 
ridge  is  a  favourite  resort  of  the  great  grey  crane,  which  returns  year  by  year  in  hundreds  to 
its  quarters,  like  rooks  to  their  trees. 

Gaza,  or  rather  the  olive-groves  which  gird  it,  bursts  suddenly  upon  us  (see  page  1 75).      It 


RUINS   OF  ASCALON,   FROM   THE  NORTH-EAST. 

Here  there  are  fine  orchards  and  olive-trees,  cultivated  by  the  Egyptian  peasants  of  the  neighbouring  village  of  El  Jurah.  The  wild  onions  of 
'Askfilan  are  celebrated  for  their  delicate  flavour.  The  Romans  gave  them  the  name  of  Ascalonia,  hence  scalogna  (Ital.)  and  shallot  (Allium 
Ascalonicum). 


has  no  natural  advantages  of  situation,  and  there  is  no  reason  apparent  why  it  should  have 
been  a  city  from  the  earliest  times.  It  is  now  entirely  denuded  of  fortifications  or  walls,  and 
many  of  its  streets  straggle  out  into  the  open  country.  A  broad  sand  road  opens  among 
the  olive-trees,  the  highway  of  Egypt  and  Syria,  trodden  by  Midianites  and  camels  long 
before  Abraham,  by  Egyptian  and  Assyrian  kings,  by  Greek  and  Roman  conquerors,  by  Saracens 
and  Crusaders,  and  lastly  by  Napoleon  from  Egypt  and  back  again.  Gaza  has  over  twenty 
thousand  inhabitants.  The  central  town,  stone-built,  is  girt  by  wide  suburbs  of  mud-built 
turf-covered  houses,  over  which  rise  in  numbers  the  minarets,  shining  white  above  the  grass- 


170  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

clad  roofs,  and  many  an  isolated  palm  rivalling  them,  among  which  the  telegraph  wires  shoot 
straight  across  the  city — a  strange  mingling  of  new  and  old.  There  is  only  one  hill  near  which 
can  claim  the  name,  and  this  is  crowned  by  a  shrine  called  'Aly  el  Muntar.  It  is  south-east  of 
the  town,  of  which  it  commands  a  fine  view,  and  the  traditional  spot  to  which  Samson  carried 
the  gates;  and  may  very  well  be  so,  as  it  is  the  only  hill  near,  and  is  on  the  road  to  Hebron. 
We  are  shown  not  only  this,  but  also  the  site  of  the  Philistine  gateway,  of  Dagon's  temple,  and 
of  Samson's  death !  There  is  very  little  of  historic  interest  in  the  buildings  of  Gaza.  The 
Mosque  of  Hashim,  Muhammed's  grandfather,  is  entirely  of  Saracenic  architecture,  and  very 
ancient.  We  are  shown  the  tomb  of  Hashim  in  one  corner  of  the  cloister.  But  the  great 
mosque,  over  which  is  an  Arabic  inscription  giving  the  date  of  the  Hegira  677,  or  a.d.  1276, 
is  in  reality  the  Basilica  of  Helena,  a  noble  cathedral,  with  its  three  apses  partially  built  up, 
and  one  of  them  made  the  staircase  to  the  added  minaret.  The  nave  and  aisles  are  unaltered, 
and  on  the  columns  the  cross  and  other  Christian  symbols  remain  unerased.  A  second  south 
aisle  has  been  added  by  the  Muhammedans,  communicating  with  a  college  of  dervishes 
adjoining  (see  page  1 75). 

All  the  other  buildings  of  Gaza  are  very  poor,  streets  and  bazaars  filthy  beyond  description 
and  winding  between  irregular  flat-roofed  houses.  But  the  striking  feature  of  Gaza  is  the 
quantity  of  marble  relics  everywhere.  It  rivals  Ascalon  (see  page  173)  in  this  abundance  of 
columns.  They  are  dug  up  in  every  yard  and  garden,  and  they  form  every  threshold  and 
most  of  the  lintels.  From  the  narrow  street  you  step  over  a  puddle  on  to  a  marble  column 
lying  across  a  doorway.  You  pass  through  a  stable,  then  into  a  narrow  court,  on  one  side  of 
which  is  the  kitchen,  open  in  front.  Then  by  a  passage  into  the  inner  courtyard,  large  and 
paved  with  marble  fragments,  the  open  arcaded  rooms  on  each  side  of  it  flanked  by  marble 
columns,  dug  up  on  the  premises,  with  capitals  Corinthian,  Herodian,  or  Late  Byzantine,  the 
relics  of  church  and  temple  together.  Polished  slabs  of  marble  vary  the  walls,  built  in  along 
with  Roman  stones.  Such  is  the  Gazan  imitation  of  a  Damascus  palace.  There  have 
been  many  statues  found  here,  and  very  recently  a  fine  colossus  was  exhumed  and  sent  to 
the  new  national  collection  at  Constantinople. 

The  environs  of  Gaza  on  the  north  side  are  far  more  extensive  than  on  the  south.  For 
miles  the  park-like  olive  forest  extends,  the  trees  old,  weird,  gnarled,  and  of  the  quaintest 
shapes,  with  cattle  grazing  everywhere  under  their  shade.  Beyond  the  trees  the  road  towards 
Hebron  leads  across  the  widest  part  of  the  great  Philistian  plain.  The  country  is  now  all 
carefully  cultivated,  though  twenty-five  years  ago  it  was  a  neglected  waste  of  wild  herbage, 
and  is  studded  with  olive-girt  villages.  Here  and  there  a  winter  torrent  has  cut  its  way 
through  the  rich  loam  of  the  level  plain,  and  it  is  no  easy  task  to  find  a  spot  where  the 
horses  can  descend  and  cross  to  the  opposite  bank.  After  a  ride  of  fifteen  miles  the  ground 
becomes  more  undulating,  bare  but  rich  downs  take  the  place  of  the  luxuriant  plain, 
and  not  a  habitation  can  be  seen  on  any  side.  Lachish,  the  modern  Lakis,  is  the  first  historic 
spot  we  reach.     It  is  indeed  a  desolate  heap.     Low  spurs  from  the  Judaean  hills  very  gradually 


^ 

< 

a 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUDA£A.  171 

push  forward  into  the  Philistian  plain.  Between  two  of  these  spurs  we  ride,  and  on  our  left 
is  a  low  "  tell,"  with  stones  strewn  about  in  all  directions.  This  is  all  that  is  left  of  Lachish. 
The  hill  seems  almost  formed  of  broken  pottery,  which  covers  the  ground  like  gravel.  A  few 
half-choked  wells  and  lines  of  foundations  of  very  thick  walls  are  all  that  is  left  to  tell  of  the 
city,  whose  capture  forms  the  chief  feature  of  Sennacherib's  slabs.  There  the  city  is  repre- 
sented as  surrounded  by  palm-trees.  Now  not  a  tree  or  a  shrub  remains  for  miles  distant. 
Commanding  the  country  around,  and  secure  by  its  situation  from  surprise,  the  farthest 
elevation  projecting  into  the  plain,  it  is  the  natural  position  for  a  frontier  outpost  fortress. 

Three  miles  farther  on,  on  a  similar  "  tell,"  we  reach  Ajlan,  the  ancient  Eglon,  a  simple 
repetition  of  Lachish,  but  much  better  preserved.  The  whole  enceinte  of  the  keep  can  be 
easily  traced,  now  a  field  of  onions  protected  by  a  cactus  hedge.  Several  wells  and  an  old 
cistern  remain,  and  some  excavations,  recently  made,  have  brought  to  light  some  fine 
substructures  of  dressed  stone,  attesting  its  former  importance. 

Two  hours'  ride  from  Eglon,  across  a  level  plain,  brings  us  to  Arak  el  Menshiyeh,  the 
ancient  Libnah.  A  wide  valley  from  the  south  winds  round  the  spur  of  Eglon,  and  we  are 
soon  on  a  rich  corn  plain  again.  Far  ahead  we  can  see  an  isolated  rock,  with  a  white  wely 
in  one  corner,  standing  up  out  of  the  plain,  and  a  large  mud  village  at  its  foot.  This  is  Libnah. 
Just  to  the  north-east  of  the  village,  separated  from  it  by  a  narrow  stream,  close  by  which 
are  several  ancient  wells,  with  fragments  of  sculptured  marble  strewn  around,  and  surmounted 
by  the  rude  and  cumbrous  apparatus  for  lifting  the  water,  such  as  we  see  in  Egypt,  rises  the 
rock  Arak  el  Menshiyeh,  on  which  was  the  citadel  of  the  Jewish  town.  It  had  originally  been 
a  completely  isolated  rock,  intended  by  nature  for  a  fortress,  absolutely  impregnable  before 
the  introduction  of  firearms.  Its  perpendicular  sides  stand  out  from  the  plain  without  the 
slightest  connection  with  any  neighbouring  ridge,  and  about  one  hundred  feet  high.  The  old 
rubbish  of  former  buildings  has  been  thrown  down  the  south  side,  and  forms  a  steep  slope, 
by  which  we  climb  to  the  top.  This  is  perfectly  flat,  about  four  acres  in  extent,  and  utterly 
deserted,  forming  a  fig  orchard  surrounded  by  a  cactus  hedge.  The  panorama  all  around  for 
miles  is  unbroken.  The  whole  plain  is  corn  or  pasture,  not  a  shrub  or  tree,  not  a  house,  not  a 
feature  to  break  the  green  expanse,  save  here  and  there  a  Bedawin  encampment,  with  fires 
beginning  to  twinkle  in  the  distance  as  the  shades  of  evening  creep  on.  It  is  an  impressive 
sight,  and  we  can  picture  how  the  host  of  the  Assyrians  marched  from  the  distant  ridge  of 
Lachish  and  were  spread  over  this  wide  plain,  and  how  impossible  was  the  capture  of  this 
place,  even  by  such  an  army,  otherwise  than  by  starvation.  Hence  the  beleaguered  garrison 
looked  down  on  the  plain  to  the  west  and  saw  the  whole  strewn  with  the  thousands  of  corpses 
smitten  by  the  angel  of  the  Lord  : 

"  For  the  angel  of  death  spread  his  wings  on  the  blast, 
And  breathed  on  the  face  of  the  foe  as  he  passed, 
And  the  eyes  of  the  sleepers  wax'd  deadly  and  chill, 
And  their  hearts  but  once  heaved,  and  for  ever  were  still." 

From  Arak  el  Menshiyeh  the  route  to  Beit  Jibrin  (see  page   180)  is  for  the  most  part 


172 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE, 


lonely  and  deserted.     We  soon  leave  the  rich  plain  and  begin  to  ascend  the  spurs  of  the 
Judaean  hills,  where  many  a  little  winter  torrent  runs  down  to  feed  the  Nahr  Sukereir,  one  of 


the  principal  streams  of 
the  Philistian  plain.  On 
every  side  are  the  traces 
of  old  towns  or  villages 
crowning  each  knoll  as 
we  rise,  but  none  of  historic  interest 
till  we  reach  Khurbet  Merash,  the 
ancient  Mareshah,  standing  on  a 
low  hill  in  very  undulating  ground 
— one  of  the  fortresses  of  Judah. 
Here  Asa  won  the  greatest  victory 
in  the  records  of  the  southern 
kingdom,  when,  with  a  levy  of  the 
whole  adult  nation,  he  defeated 
the  countless  hosts  of  Zerah,  king 
of  Ethiopia  or  Upper  Egypt,  and 
pursued  the  fugitives  right  across 
Philistia,  beyond  Gaza  (see  page 
175),  as  far  as  Gerar.  Though 
several  thousand  troops  could  de- 
ploy in  the  open  ground,  the  posi- 
tion is  such  that  Zerah  could  not 

Here  there  is  a  shallow  bay,  with  a  landing-place  for  small  boats.    The  beach  is  strewn    .  ,  .  .       .  ,     ,. 

with  masses  of  ancient  masonry.    On  the  cliff  above  there  is  a  Muhammedan  shrine,     bring     hlS     Superiority    OI     IOl'Ce    tO 
called  El  Khudrah,  with  a  few  palm-trees  near  it. 

bear,  and  the  front  ranks  being 
broken  only  spread  panic  among  the  crowded  masses  at  the  opening  of  the  plain.  The  whole 
is  now  covered  with  low  brushwood,  and  swarming  with  partridges,  but  not  a  tree  exists  in  the 
whole  country  till  we  arrive  at  the  outskirts  of  Beit  Jibrin  (see  page  180).     We  may  make  a 


RUINS   OF   ASCALON,    FROM   THE    SOUTH-WEST. 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD&A. 


173 


VOL.    III. 


A    A 


I74  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

detour  hence  to  the  north,  so  as  to  enter  the  town  by  that  side,  and  in  so  doing  visit  a  site 
which  may  aid  in  identifying  the  place — Khiirbet  Gat.  The  name  is  well  known  and  recognised 
by  the  fellahin,  who  point  out  the  hill  to  the  north-west  of  Beit  Jibrin,  full  of  old  foundations, 
and  well  adapted  for  a  fortress,  as  Gat.  Of  this  more  anon.  No  place  in  South  Judaea  contains 
so  many  and  such  varied  remains  as  Beit  Jibrin.  The  modern  town  is  of  some  extent,  though 
shrunken  indeed  within  its  ancient  limits.  There  are,  perhaps,  one  thousand  inhabitants,  of  a 
different  type  from  the  fellahin,  large-made,  muscular,  bold  and  insolent,  but  industrious  and 
enterprising,  and  comparatively  rich.  The  father  of  the  present  sheikh,  Azazeh,  was  a  noted 
tyrant,  defiant  of  Turkish  authority,  the  terror  alike  of  his  own  people  and  of  the  country  around. 
The  stories  that  are  told  of  him  surpass  in  bloody  crime  even  the  hideous  tales  of  Jezzar  Pasha 
(refer  to  page  87).  If  he  heard  of  a  man  having  married  a  handsome  wife  he  would  send  for 
the  couple,  and,  if  the  hapless  girl  pleased  him,  would  cut  clown  the  husband  without  a  word, 
and  tell  her  that  as  she  was  now  a  widow  he  should  take  her.  It  is  only  since  his  death  that 
traders  from  Hebron  (see  page  196)  or  travellers  have  ventured  here.  The  sheikh's  castle  is 
near  the  ancient  fortress,  and  built  of  its  materials  (see  page  177).  The  old  citadel,  round 
which  the  modern  town  clusters,  has  been  enclosed  by  a  wall  of  massive  masonry,  and  is 
probably  Crusading,  as  polished  shafts  and  marble  capitals  of  the  Grseco-Roman  period  are 
often  built  into  the  walls,  and  many  broken  columns  are  still  standing  in  situ  in  the  courtyards 
of  the  modern  hovels.  The  citadel  has  been  about  six  hundred  feet  square,  and  round  the 
walls  on  the  inside  were  rows  of  arched  vaults,  many  of  which  are  still  j^erfect  and  some 
inhabited.  In  the  centre  of  the  area  is  the  Crusading  keep  of  similar  masonry,  but  which  has 
been  partially  ruined,  restored  by  the  Saracens,  and  now  again  a  ruin,  with  massive  arched 
chambers,  and  a  splendid  crypt  chapel,  the  groined  roof  of  which  still  remains.  Not  the  least 
interesting  and  useful  relic  of  the  past  is  a  noble  well,  probably  Roman,  of  unusual  diameter, 
faced  with  most  beautiful  masonry,  and  apparently  about  one  hundred  feet  deep,  still  affording 
an  abundant  supply  of  water.  These  are  the  remains  of  Beto-Gabra,  the  "  house  of  Gabriel," 
its  Syro-Greek  name,  changed  by  the  Romans  to  Eleutheropolis,  which,  though  now  completely 
lost,  was  retained  as  late  as  the  beginning  of. the  ninth  century,  when  the  Saracens  destroyed  it. 
Though  Tell  es  Safy,  a  short  day's  journey  to  the  north  (see  page  161),  is  a  more  favourite 
claimant  for  the  honour,  I  have  always  inclined  to  the  belief,  when  I  look  at  the  massive  and 
certainly  Crusading  masonry,  that  this  is  not  only  Beto-Gabra  and  Eleutheropolis,  but  also  the 
Blanchegarde  of  the  Crusaders,  the  celebrated  outpost,  which  is  surrounded  by  a  halo  of 
romance  from  the  heroic  and  almost  miraculous  adventures  and  single-handed  feats  of  our  own 
lion-hearted  king.  Round  it  circle  the  most  romantic  of  the  tales  of  the  Crusaders.  At  Tell 
es  Safy  there  is  scarcely  a  vestige  of  a  ruin,  however  strong  the  natural  position,  and  if  these 
walls  be  not  Blanchegarde,  what  are  they  ?  We  observed  one  very  interesting  relic  which 
may  give  a  hint  as  to  the  antiquity  of  the  place.  Lying  near  a  wvell,  a  little  outside  the  village, 
was  a  white  marble  Corinthian  capital  in  the  style  of  the  best  period,  but  in  the  centre  of  the 
cornice,  instead  of  the  acanthus  leaf,  was  sculptured  the  seven  golden  candlesticks,  exactly  of 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD&A.  175 

the  same  pattern  as  represented  on  the  Arch  of  Titus.     This  must  be  pree-Christian.     Is  it 


GHUZZEH,   THE   ANCIENT  GAZ, 


The  modern  village,  which  is  of  semi-Egyptian  character,  has  neither  walls  nor  gates.    The  serai  dates  from  the  thirteenth  century,  and  the  great 
mosque,  Jami'a  el  Kebir,  which  towers  above  the  palm-trees,  was  originally  a  Byzantine  cathedral. 

Maccabaean  or  Herodian  ?     The  industry  of  Beit  Jibrin  is  carpet-weaving,  and  all  around  the 

a  a  2 


176 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


Crusaders'  castle  we  saw  the  tops  of  the  houses  covered  with  women  at  work,  turning  out,  with 
the  most  primitive  of  looms,  and  using  their  fingers  as  a  shuttle,  strips  of  solid  and  substantial 
carpet.  Outside,  all  along  the  pathways,  on  either  side  was  a  sort  of  public  rope-walk,  where 
bodi  weavers  and  dyers  were  at  work,  carefully  dyeing  and  stretching  the  threads  before  they 
were  woven.  Flocks  and  herds  are  abundant,  and  the  shepherds  are  armed,  not  only  with 
guns,  but  with  battleaxes,  for  defence  against  the  wolves,  who  are  the  depredators  of  the  hills, 
as  the  Bedawin  are  of  the  plain.  We  met  a  weeping  shepherd  boy,  who  told  us  a  wolf  from 
a  cave  hard  by  had  just  carried  off  a  kid  before  he  could  save  it. 

But  I  am  inclined  to  give  Beit  Jibrin  (see  page  180)  a  yet  older  history  than  Blanche- 
garde,  and  to  identify  it  with  Gath,  of  which  Khiirbet  Gat  may  have  been  the  citadel.  It  is 
not  its  castle  nor  the  remains  on  the  surface  which  make  the  plain  so  remarkable,  as  the  great 


A   WELL   IN   THE    PLAIN   OF    PHILISTIA. 
Around  it  there  are  a  few  rudely  formed  cup-shaped  stona  water-troughs  for  the  use  of  flocks  and  herds. 


artificial  caves,  unrivalled  in  extent  and  size  in  any  other  part  of  Palestine,  chiefly  artificial  and 
far  older  than  mediaeval  times.  Nowhere  are  Jewish  tombs,  and  kokim,  or  niches  for  the  dead, 
so  abundant  as  in  the  valleys  of  Beit  Jibrin.  They  are  absolutely  countless,  and  point  to  a 
vast  and  concentrated  population.  Then  there  are  vast  columbaria  (artificial  vaults),  containing 
hundreds,  nay  thousands,  of  niches  for  urns.  But  besides  these  are  the  most  remarkable 
subterranean  works  of  Palestine — the  labyrinth  of  artificial  caverns,  of  which  the  origin  and 
use  is  utterly  lost,  and  which  occupy  the  whole  interior  of  a  hill.  The  access  to  them  is  most 
intricate  and  difficult.  Robinson  was,  I  believe,  the  first  to  explore  them.  Though  from  its 
situation  there  is  much  in  Tell  es  Safy  to  support  Captain  Conder's  identification  of  it  with 
Gath,  I  have  great  difficulty  in  passing  over  the  claims  of  such  important  remains  as  those  of 
Beit  Jibrin.  But  whatever  they  be,  these  subterranean  halls  deserve  a  visit  and  description. 
About  one  mile  south   of  the  town,  Tell  Sandannah  is  completely  hollowed  out  by  a  vast 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD^A. 


177 


system  of  artificial  connected  caves.  Candles  and  a  ball  of 
twine,  as  well  as  guides,  are  requisite.  The  entrance  is  by 
a  perpendicular  shaft  with  steps  in  the  hillside,  into  which 
we  creep,  and  then,  trusting  to  our  guide  in  front,  let  our- 
selves down.  The  opening  is  well  concealed  by  a  tangle 
of  briars  among  crumbling  rocks.  We  soon  find  ourselves 
in  darkness  at  the  bottom,  and,  lighting  our  candles,  creep 


THE   CASTLE   OF   BEIT  JIBRiN,    BY    STARLIGHT. 

Arab  musicians  in  the  foreground.    The  one-stringed  instrument  is  the  " rabab  esh  sha'ir,"  or  poet's  viol;  it  is  used  as  an  accompaniment  to 
chanted  poetry.    The  double-reed  pipe  is  the  "  arghttl ;  "  its  longer  reed  serves  as  a  drone  or  continuous  bass. 


i78  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

for  some  way  on  all  fours  along  a  winding  passage.  This  brings  us  to  a  circular  dome-shaped 
cavern,  apparently  about  sixty  feet  high,  and  without  any  aperture  at  the  top.  We  have 
entered  near  the  bottom,  and  creep  up  a  flight  of  steps  which  wind  round  the  side  to  about 
half  its  height  (see  page  179).  From  this  we  creep  by  a  labyrinthine  tunnel  to  another  and 
smaller  domed  cave ;  but  between  them  are  various  irregularly  hewn  chambers,  and  passages 
branch  into  bewildering  confusion  in  all  directions. .  There  appears  to  be  no  regular  system  of 
arrangement.  We  visited  at  least  half-a-dozen  of  the  great  domed  chambers,  and  there  may 
be  many  more,  for  it  would  require  the  skill  of  a  mining  engineer  to  plan  and  exhaustively 
explore  them.  In  some  the  staircase  admitted  us  near  the  top  of  the  dome,  and  these  steps 
led  to  the  bottom.  There  was  no  exit  at  the  bottom,  and  only  dry  hard  mud,  as  though  water 
had  at  some  time  penetrated  and  remained.  But  they  cannot  have  been  intended  for  cisterns, 
still  less  for  tombs.  There  is  no  trace  of  any  system  of  lighting  them  from  above,  nor  could 
we  find  a  trace  of  sculpture  or  inscription.  The  roofs  of  the  smaller  chambers  are  supported 
by  many  pillars  of  rock  left  standing.  Neither  chambers  nor  domes  are  on  the  same  level ; 
everything  is  most  irregular.  How  the  excavated  rock  has  been  removed  is  another  problem. 
There  may  possibly  have  been  holes  in  the  centre  of  the  domes,  which  have  been  carefully 
filled  in  after  the  stone  was  removed.  Nothing  elsewhere  in  Syria  or  in  Petra,  so  far  as  I 
am  aware,  in  the  slightest  degree  resembles  this  subterranean  labyrinth.  Who  were  its 
excavators  and  what  was  its  purpose,  can  only  be  answered  by  the  vaguest  conjecture. 
They  can  scarcely  have  been  the  Horites,  or  cavemen,  the  prehistoric  troglodytes  of 
Canaan,  for  these  domes  are  far  more  elaborate  and  artificial  than  any  known  to  have  been 
worked  out  by  primaeval  man.  But  long  subsequent  to  their  epoch  the  Idumaeans  continued 
to  be  cave-dwellers,  as  had  been  the  aborigines.  It  is  possible  they  received  the  habit  from 
their  predecessors,  and  that  at  the  period  just  before  the  Maccaboean  times,  when  this  part  of 
the  country  was  held  by  them,  until  conquered  by  John  Hyrcanus,  they  hollowed  out  this  hill 
for  the  sake  of  security,  and  finding  the  rock  extremely  soft,  developed  a  form  of  subterranean 
architecture  impracticable  among  the  granite  cliffs  of  Petra. 

Half-way  between  these  caves  and  Beit  Jibrin  is  a  very  interesting  ruin,  one  of  the  finest 
Byzantine  churches  in  Palestine ;  it  was  dedicated  to  Santa  Hanna  or  St.  Anne  (see  page  181). 
The  east  end,  with  its  massive  apses,  is  still  perfect,  and  the  foundations  and  a  few  courses 
above  them  remain  for  the  whole  length,  which  is  over  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  for  the 
nave.  But  two  walls  run  out  on  either  side  in  a  line  with  the  arch  of  the  apse,  each  of  them 
over  sixty  feet  long,  and  making  the  width  of  the  building  a  little  over  one  hundred  and  fifty 
feet ;  and  at  the  west  end  are  chapels  seventy-five  feet  by  twenty-five,  with  apses  parallel  to 
that  of  the  nave.  The  Crusaders,  those  marvellous  builders,  have  evidently  altered  the  plan 
of  the  building  in  many  ways.  Probably  they  found  it  partially  ruined.  They  have  added 
piers  to  the  walls  of  the  nave,  which  support  pointed  arches.  The  bay  next  the  central  apse 
still  has  its  roof  entire,  but  it  is  ten  feet  lower  than  the  splendid  domed  roof  of  the  Byzantine 
apse,  which  is  of  magnificent  masonry,  and  has  not  a  stone  out  of  its  place.     The  appearance 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD/EA. 


179 


of  the  restored  church,  with  the  roof  of  the  nave  below  that  of  the  east  end,  must  have  been 
somewhat  peculiar.  The 
difference  between  the  By- 
zantine and  Crusading 
masonry  may  here  be 
studied  with  advantage. 

Between  the  church  of 
St.  Anne  and  the  village  we 
visit  many  other  caverns, 
some  of  them  with  domed 
roofs  such  as  we  have  de- 
scribed above,  and  quite  as 
extensive,  but  all  more  or 
less  open  to  the  day.  Great 
portions  of  the  roofs  have 
fallen  in,  and  many  of  the 
domes  have  a  circular  opem 
ing  at  the  top  about  six  feet 
in  diameter,  as  though  these 
had  been  intended  for  cis- 
terns. There  are  many  in- 
scriptions, some  of  them  at 
a  great  height,  but  all  entire. 
We  could  find  no  Latin 
or  Greek  inscriptions,  but 
many  Christian  symbols, 
proving  that  they  are  at 
least  prior  to  the  Saracenic 
invasion.  The  sides  of  the 
caverns  are  dressed  with  a 
pick  diagonally,  and  in  some 
places  great  pillars  have 
been  left  to  support  the 
roof;  and  there  are  apses  at 
the  east  end  of  two  or  three, 
as  though  they  had  been  at 
some  time  used  as  chapels. 
On  one,  and  one  only,  was 

,  SUBTERRANEAN   LABYRINTH   OF  TELL   SANDANNAH   (BEIT  JIBRlN). 

a    Droau     border    OI    tracery  Showing  one  of  the  numerous  circular  dome-shaped  caverns,  with  its  winding  rock-cut  stairway. 


i8o 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


THE   VALLEY   OF   BEIT  JIBRtN. 

With  a  distant  view  of  the  sea  and  the  sandy  coast-hills.    On  the  hillside  on  the  left  the  entrance  to  one  of  the  great  caverns  with  which  this 

district  abounds  is  shown.     In  the  foreground  a  shepherd  is  sleeping  ;  near  to  him  are  his  dog  and  gun  and  double-reed  pipe. 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD&A.  181 

running  on  either  side  just  below  the  roof.     Days  might  be  spent  in  exploring  the  caverns  of 


subterranean  Beit  Jibrin.  Everywhere 
the  hills  are  honeycombed,  and  the 
ground  rings  hollow  as  we  walk. 

Instead  of  taking  the  direct  road 
from  Beit  Jibrin  (see  page  180)  to 
Hebron  (see  page  196),  on  which  there 
are  not  many  historical  sites  of  note,  we 
may  make  a  detour  northwards,  and  in  a 
long  day's  ride  visit  Wady  es  Stir,  the 
upper  portion  of  the  Vale  of  Elah,  the 
recently  recovered  cave  of  Adullam  (Ed 
el  Miye),  and  Keilah.  Wherever  we 
wander  we   shall   find  ruins  in  abundance 

VOL.  III. 


THE   CHURCH    OF   ST.    ANNE,    BEIT  JIBRIN. 

Called  by  the  Arabs  El  Keniseh ;  it  stands  one  thousand  and  seventy-two  feet 
above  the  sea,  opposite  to  Tell  Sandannah  (Santa  Hanna  ?) .  It  was  originally 
a  Byzantine  church,  but  was  restored  by  the  Crusaders. 


So  frequent   are   the  proofs  of  a  former  dense 

B   B 


,82  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

population  that  Captain  Conder  estimates  the  number  of  ruined  sites  to  average  three  for  every 
two  square  miles.  We  ascend  the  whole  way,  for  Hebron  lies  two  thousand  one  hundred  feet 
above  Beit  Jibrin,  and  the  hills  we  cross  to  reach  it  are  three  hundred  feet  higher  still.  For  two 
miles  the  path  winds  among  the  charming  olive-groves  by  the  side  of  the  old  Roman  road  to 
Jerusalem,  still  very  distinct  and  even  perfect  in  places.  Emerging  from  the  olive-groves  we 
continue  up  a  narrow  wady,  for  some  way  by  the  side  of  the  Roman  road  and  aqueduct,  with 
the  characteristic  rounded  and  rocky  hills  of  Judaea  shutting  us  in  on  all  sides  and  forbidding 
any  distant  view.  Then  turning  eastward  we  wind  up  a  labyrinth  of  little  wadys,  the  lower 
portion  always  cultivated  with  corn,  by  the  edge  of  which  we  ride,  guiding  our  course  by 
compass  and  map  alone,  for  the  valleys  meet  and  intersect  in  bewildering  confusion,  and  we 
find  not  a  solitary  human  habitation  the  whole  way,  and  rarely  meet  a  fellah  at  work  or  an 
Arab  wandering  on  foot.  After  three  hours'  ride  over  rugged  hills  and  through  little  winding 
stony  valleys,  carpeted  with  green  wheat,  we  find  ourselves  in  front  of  a  dome-shaped  hill, 
round  the  base  of  which  the  valley  divides.  The  sides  are  perforated  with  caves.  For  the 
first  time  to-day  we  see  families  of  women  and  children  sitting  in  front  of  the  scattered  caves. 
We  have  in  fact  come  on  a  troglodyte  village.  We  are  told  that  the  next  hill  is  Ed  el  Miye, 
and  declining  the  hospitable  proffer  of  coffee  if  we  will  only  alight,  we  ride  on  to  the  head  of 
a  little  glen  which  opens  out  on  either  side.  To  the  right  and  left  the  brown  stony  hills, 
brilliantly  stippled  with  cyclamen  and  anemone,  are  studded  with  countless  caves.  In  front 
is  an  isolated  hill,  round  which  these  wadys  sweep,  clothed  with  green  turf  and  crowned  with 
low  ruins—"  Khurbet  Ed  el  Miye,"  the  old  city  of  Adullam  (refer  to  page  142,  vol.  i.).  To 
this  we  climb  direct ;  up  the  hill,  and  just  below  the  brow,  where  it  dips  on  the  opposite  eastern 
side,  is  a  small  whitened  dome — the  Mukam  of  Neby  Mudkhar.  The  prospect  hence  surprises 
us.  A  fine  broad  valley  (Wady  es  Sur)  is  spread  before  us,  the  upper  part  of  the  Vale  of 
Elah,  the  land  of  Samson  and  of  David's  wanderings.  Here  and  there  a  terebinth,  one  of 
them  an  especially  noble  tree,  forms  a  conspicuous  feature  in  the  valley.  On  the  opposite  side 
rise  other  bare  and  rounded  hills.  Close  by  the  wely  is  the  low  opening  of  a  well-smoked 
cave,  still  inhabited.  It  is  nowhere  lofty,  but  very  extensive,  and  several  of  its  branches  have 
been  built  up.  We  afterwards  found  one  of  these  branches  which  had  been  built  off,  with  an 
opening  cut  in  its  roof.  There  was  certainly  here  abundant  room  for  David's  four  hundred 
refugees.  The  mouth  of  the  cave  commands  a  fine  view,  and  is  well  situated  for  security  from 
surprise.  It  must  have  been  an  admirable  station  from  which  to  make  forays  and  sweep  down 
on  any  hapless  travellers  making  their  way  to  or  from  the  Philistian  plain  by  the  wady  below. 

Descending  the  hill  of  Adullam,  the  route  to  Hebron  lies  up  the  wady,  now  called  the 
Wady  es  Sur.  Below,  at  the  junction  of  another  valley,  stands  one  of  the  largest  trees  in 
Palestine,  and  which  sometimes  gives  its  name  to  the  valleys.  It  is  conspicuous  from  afar, 
and  reminds  us  of  the  ancient  name  lower  down — Emek  Elah— the  Yale  of  the  Terebinth 
(Wady  es  Sunt,  see  page  157).  An  old  road,  not  Roman,  but  earlier,  may  be  traced  up  the 
valley  towards  Hebron,  passing  between  Keilah  and  Hharass,  or  Hareth.     We  rapidly  ascend, 


63 


•." 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD/EA.  183 

the  valley  narrows  to  a  watercourse  a  few  feet  wide,  the  hills  are  steeper  and  steeper,  and  the 
path  a  goat-track  occasionally  varied  by  a  flight  of  broken  natural  stairs.  Several  ancient  wells, 
shaded  by  a  tree  on  the  wayside,  still  supply  the  traveller  with  water ;  and  just  above  one  of 
these  are  the  ruins  of  Keilah,  still  known  by  the  sar.*:.  .uime,  dreary  and  unattractive,  and  with 
no  decipherable  remains,  yet  once  the  head-quarters  of  David,  and  then  a  fenced  city.  It  is  a 
strong  natural  situation,  and  a  few  men  might  hold  the  pass. 

There  is  little  to  detain  us  on  the  rest  of  the  way  to  Hebron.  H harass  is  passed  on  the 
right.  The  road  still  ascends  till  we  reach  an  irregular  mountain  plateau,  about  six  miles 
north-west  of  Hebron,  and  after  crossing  it,  descend  no  longer  bare  hills,  with  brushwood  and 
pasturage,  but  carefully  enclosed  and  cultivated  vineyards,  with  clumps  of  olive  and  fig  yards. 
We  are  now  in  what  is  popularly  known  as  the  Vale  of  Eschol  (see  page  192),  though  the  true 
Eschol  must  be  placed  many  days'  journey  to  the  south,  near  Kadesh  Barnea. 

As  we  approach  the  environs  of  Hebron,  on  the  left  of  the  paved  and  walled  road,  a  wide 
gateway  leads  through  some  vineyards  to  a  large  building,  the  Russian  hospice,  erected  just 
behind  a  very  fine  old  tree,  the  traditional  oak  of  Mamre  (see  page  193).  For  at  least  three 
hundred  years  this  tree,  which  is  not  a  terebinth  (elali),  but  an  ilex,  or  evergreen  holm  oak 
(Quercus  pseudo-cocciferd),  has  been  visited  by  pilgrims  and  known  as  Abraham's  oak.  That, 
however,  was  in  another  place,  Ramet  or  Mamre,  and  was  a  terebinth.  It  has  long  since  gone, 
and  this  noble  tree  will  soon  follow,  for  within  the  last  twenty-five  years  it  has  lost  more  than 
half  its  limbs,  and  is  rapidly  sinking  into  decrepitude  (see  pages  192  and  193).  It  used  to 
spread  its  shadow  over  a  circumference  of  one  hundred  yards,  and  its  trunk  measures  thirty- two 
feet  in  circumference  at  a  height  of  six  feet  from  the  ground. 

One  mile  farther  and  we  are  at  Hebron  (see  page  197),  or  rather  in  front  of  it,  for  the 
road  runs  alongside  the  long  straggling  suburb  of  Esh  Shekh,  and  then  passing  to  the  south 
of  the  central  quarter  El  Haram,  we  halt  on  the  slope  facing  the  city,  by  the  Muhammedan 
cemetery,  with  the  pools  of  Hebron  directly  below  us,  and  the  famous  mosque  in  front,  behind 
the  buildings  of  the  city.  Hebron,  though  it  stands  higher  above  the  sea  than  any  other  city 
of  Palestine,  is  yet  one  of  the  very  few  ancient  sites  which  is  not  on,  but  under,  a  hill.  The 
ancient  city  may  have  been  a  little  more  to  the  north-west,  but  the  pools  (see  page  196)  as  well 
as  the  Haram  fix  the  variations  within  narrow  limits.  A  wide  open  grassy  space  extends 
south  and  west,  surrounded  by  olive-clad  hills.  The  central  and  conspicuous  feature  of  Hebron 
is  the  great  Haram  wall  (see  steel  plate).  It  is  an  oblong  enclosure  about  two  hundred  feet 
by  one  hundred  and  fifteen,  and  fifty-eight  feet  high,  surrounding  the  cave  of  Machpelah,  the 
burial-place  of  Abraham  and  his  family  for  three  generations.  The  ground  on  which  it  stands 
is  very  steep,  and  was  possibly  below  or  "  before  "  the  ancient  city,  which  claims  to  be  one  of 
the  oldest  in  the  world,  built,  as  we  are  told,  seven  years  before  Zoan,  the  classical  Tanis 
(a  date  which  has  not  yet  been  ascertained),  and  coeval  with  Shechem  and  Damascus.  Besides 
its  own  antiquity,  it  embraces  here  the  most  ancient  and  the  most  authentic  of  all  the  holy 
places  of  the  Holy  Land.     Much  controversy  has  arisen  as  to  the  date  of  this  wall.     Beyond 

IS    I!    2 


1 84 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


THE   VALLEY    OF   BERACHAH. 

Jehoshaphat's  "  valley  of  blessing."  A  wide  open  vale  between  Tekoa  and  the  road  from  Hebron  to  Bethlehem.  In 
the  foreground  there  is  a  lime-kiln,  and  on  the  distant  hill  a  ruined  site,  two  thousand  eight  hundred  and  fifteen 
feet  above  the  sea,  called  Khurbet  Bereikuh. 


its  great  height  and  massiveness,  it  is  of  marvellously  beautiful  workmanship 
— as  Josephus  describes  it,  "  of  beautiful  marble  and  admirably  worked."  The 
stones  are  many  of  them  of  immense  size  :  one  is  thirty-eight  feet  long  and 
three  and  a  half  feet  high,  the  chiselling  is  very  fine,  and  all  have  the  true 
Jewish  marginal  draft,  broad,  shallow,  and  beautifully  cut.  Sixteen  pilasters 
strengthen  each  of  the  longer,  and  eight  each  of  the  shorter  sides.  In  spite 
of  recent  theories  and  criticism,  it  seems  impossible  to  assign  to  the  building 
a  date  later  than  that  of  Solomon.     It  existed  in  the  time  of  Josephus,  who  speaks  of  it  with 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD&A. 


i85 


,86  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE 

rapture ;  and  had  it  been  the  work  of  his  hero,  Herod,  it  is  incredible  that  he  should  not  have 
assigned  it  to  him,  when  he  so  fully  specifies  all  his  other  architectural  works.  And  if  it  were 
old  then,  it  is  impossible  to  assign  a  later  epoch  than  the  Hebrew  monarchy.  After  the  return 
the  nation  was  too  poor  and  enfeebled  to  have  undertaken  such  a  structure,  and  the  masonry 
harmonizes  with  what  we  know  of  Solomon's  age.  There  is  really  no  valid  ground  for  rejecting 
the  consentient  tradition  of  Jews  and  others  for  two  thousand  years. 

It  were  strange  indeed  if  any  of  the  Herodian  princes  should  here  also  have  raised,  at 
enormous  cost,  a  building  utterly  differing  from  the  countless  products  of  their  architectural 
passion  and  Roman  taste,  with  which  the  land  is  strewn.  Stranger  still  had  any  Byzantine 
architect  here  conceived  a  work  of  such  impressive  simplicity,  without  one  single  feature — 
either  in  design  or  execution — in  common  with  the  elaborate  ornamentation  in  which  he 
everywhere  else  indulged. 

A  modern  Saracenic  wall  surmounts  the  old  enclosures,  and  at  the  north-east  and  south- 
west angles  minarets  have  been  added.  The  entrance  is  by  a  staircase,  to  which  access  is 
forbidden  to  Christians,  though  we  succeeded  in  running  up  and  peeping  in  at  dawn,  without 
being  detected.  But  this  is  a  rash  and  rather  dangerous  experiment.  It  is  only  within  the 
last  few  years  that  two  or  three  royal  and  princely  parties  have  been  permitted  to  enter.  The 
first  of  these  was  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  1862,  and  to  his  companion,  the  late  Dean  Stanley, 
we  owe  the  account  of  the  interior.  This  has  been  at  one  time  a  Byzantine  church,  the 
enclosure  having,  in  the  Jewish  period,  been  free  from  buildings.  The  apse  has  been  cut  and 
the  arches  pointed  when  it  was  transformed  into  a  mosque.  It  occupies  about  a  third  of  the 
interior  space,  and  contains  cenotaphs,  not  tombs,  of  the  various  patriarchs  whose  dust  lies  in 
the  cave  beneath.  The  shrines  of  Abraham  and  Sarah  are  outside  the  mosque,  and  within,  in 
corners,  are  the  chapels  of  Isaac  and  Rebekah,  and  of  Jacob  and  Leah,  the  two  latter  in 
a  separate  cloister.  Outside,  but  attached  to  the  enclosure,  is  another  cenotaph,  which 
Muhammedans  claim  as  that  of  Joseph,  who,  they  say,  was  brought  hither  from  Shechem. 
There  is  a  mosque  on  the  north  side,  to  the  roof  of  which  we  obtained  access,  and  whence  we 
could  look  down  upon  two  other  shrines  of  Jacob  and  Leah.  To  the  cave  itself  beneath  no  one 
has  yet  obtained  access.  There  is  an  opening  at  the  corner  of  Abraham's  shrine,  in  the  living 
rock,  which  is  evidently  an  aperture  into  the  cave  itself,  but  this  has  never  been  penetrated  for 
centuries.  Were  it  examined  we  could  not  expect  to  find  any  traces,  save  dust,  of  the  earlier 
patriarchs  ;  yet  as  Jacob  was  embalmed  with  all  the  skill  of  the  Egyptians  and  dignified  with 
royal  honours,  it  is  quite  possible  that  his  mummy  case  still  remains,  for  Machpelah  has  never 
passed  into  any  hands  but  those  who  loved  and  reverenced  the  patriarchs.  Jew,  Christian,  and 
Moslem  concur  in  this,  and  during  the  period  of  Roman  rule,  we  know  well  how  careful  they 
were  to  conciliate  the  local  cults  of  every  conquered  nation,  to  whom  they  always  left  the 
regulation  of  their  own  religious  matters.  We  may  feel  certain  that  these  hallowed  sepulchres 
have  remained  for  four  thousand  years  undesecrated  and  undisturbed. 

There  remains  one  more  relic  of  the  Hebrew  times  to  be  noticed  in  Hebron— the  pools 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUD/EA.  187 

or  tanks.  The  most  important  of  the  two  is  the  lower  pool,  a  square  tank  of  very  ancient 
masonry,  massive  and  finely  wrought,  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet  square,  and  some  fifty 
feet  deep  (see  page  196).  Its  supply  never  fails,  being  derived  from  subterranean  conduits, 
which  seem  also  to  supply  a  similar  but  rather  smaller  pool  of  like  antiquity,  higher  up  on  the 
north  edge  of  the  city.  It  was  over  this  lower  pool,  according  to  consentient  tradition,  that 
David  hanged  the  murderers  of  his  rival  Ishbosheth,  and  set  an  example  of  magnanimity  to 
foes  and  of  stern  justice  rarely  witnessed  in  the  struggles  of  Oriental  monarchs. 

The  history  of  Hebron— with  the  single  exception  of  the  seven  and  a  half  years  during 
which  it  was  the  capital  of  David's  southern  kingdom,  before  the  fall  of  Ishbosheth  enabled 
him  to  unite  Israel  at  Jerusalem  -presents  scarcely  an  event  worthy  of  note,  since  the  days 
of  Abraham  ;  with  memorials  of  whom  the  whole  neighbourhood  abounds.  The  only  two 
undoubted  monuments  of  the  past,  the  Haram  and  the  Pools,  are,  we  have  seen,  connected 
with  these  epochs  respectively.  To  the  Jew,  though  he  clings  to  it,  the  memories  are  bitter 
as  well  as  hallowed.  For  it  was  close  to  Hebron,  at  a  spot  if  possible  even  more  hallowed 
than  Machpelah  itself— under  the  oak  of  Mamre  (see  page  189),  where  Abraham  had  so  often 
pitched  his  tent,  where  he  conversed  with  God,  and  where  he  received  the  promises  to  himself 
and  to  his  seed — that,  after  the  great  revolt  of  the  Jews  had  been  finally  suppressed  at 
Bether,  the  Emperor  Hadrian  sold  tens  of  thousands  of  hapless  captives  to  a  slavery  worse 
than  death  itself. 

The  site  of  Mamre,  now  known  as  Ramet  el  Khulil  (see  page  189),  is  about  two  miles 
north  of  Hebron,  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  road  to  Jerusalem.  It  was  once  a  Roman  road, 
carefully  paved,  as  perhaps  it  had  been  in  the  days  of  royal  Solomon,  but  certainly  it  is  worse 
now  than  it  could  have  been  when  it  was  but  a  mountain  path,  along  which  Abraham  may  have 
often  passed  to  visit  his  friends  at  Hebron.  The  place  is  identified  on  the  authority  of  Jerome, 
and  must  have  been  well  known  in  his  days,  and  the  Jews  have  always  looked  on  it  and 
reverenced  it  as  the  home  of  Abraham.  There  is  nothing  to  mark  the  place  till  we  reach  it — 
a  small  flat  plain  extends  to  the  foot  of  the  hills  half  a  mile  off,  without  a  tree  or  a  shrub,  and 
only  some  few  dilapidated  fences  where  patches  of  vegetables  have  been  cultivated.  Here  we 
find  several  d^ep  wells,  three  of  them  carefully  faced  with  dressed  stone,  and  evidently  very 
ancient.  By  the  largest  of  them  are  two  lines  of  an  unfinished  enclosure,  at  right  angles,  two 
hundred  feet  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  feet  respectively  in  length,  and  built  of  very  large 
square  stones,  but  without  a  marginal  draft.  There  remain  only  two  courses,  three  and  four 
feet  high  respectively,  and  some  of  the  stones  fifteen  feet  in  length.  It  is  impossible  to 
discover  the  object  of  this  building,  if  indeed  it  were  ever  finished,  for  there  are  very  few 
traces  of  debris  to  be  seen  around.  It  cannot  have  been  the  basilica  which  Constantine 
erected  here,  for  a  little  farther  to  the  east  the  foundations  of  a  large  Byzantine  church  can 
be  easily  traced.  It  may  have  been  the  enclosure  by  the  great  terebinth,  which  had  become 
before  the  time  of  Constantine  a  place  of  worship  both  for  Christians  and  heathens,  and  under 
which  Hadrian  sold  the  captive  Jews.      A  great  terebinth  existed  here  as  late  as  the  fourth 


iS8 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


century  a.d.,  traditionally  that  which  had  shaded  Abraham's  tent,  and  very  possibly  its  real 
successor.  It  is  well  worth  while  to  ride  up  to  the  top  of  the  hill  to  the  east  of  the  plain. 
The  view  is  fine  and  commanding,  and  there  are  traces  of  an  old  town.  But  it  suggests  a 
corroboration  of  the  true  positions  of  the  cities  of  the  plain,  at  the  north  end  of  the  Dead 


Sea,  which  is  of  some  import- 
ance.     This  must  have  been 
the  hill  above  Mamre  to  which 
Abraham  resorted,  and  whence 
he  saw  the  smoke  of  the  cities  of  the  plain 
ascending  like  the  smoke  of  a  furnace.     The 
view  is  entirely  shut  out  towards  the  south  by 
nearer   and  loftier  hills,   but  northwards    the 
opening  at  the  higher  end  of  the  Dead  Sea 
can   be  detected    by  the   space  between    the 
Judsean  range  and  the  dim  distant  outline  of 
the  Moab  mountains,  so  that  though  the  plain 
of  Jordan  is  itself  sunk  far  out  of  sight,  the 
smoke  of  any  great  conflagration  could  be  seen,  and  the  spot  whence  it  arose  identified. 

There  is  a  curious  tradition  connected  with  Beni-N'aim,  a  lofty  height  just  five  miles  south- 
east of  Rameh,  with  a  wely,  called  Neby  Lut,  believed  by  Muhammedans  to  be  the  burial-place 
of  Lot.  Here,  they  say,  Abraham  stood  and  interceded  for  Sodom.  The  place  is  worth  a 
visit  for  the  sake  of  the  view  from  the  top  of  the  mosque.  It  is  exactly  on  the  watershed 
between  the  Jordan  and  the  Mediterranean,  and  we  ascend  the  whole  way  from   Rameh  or 


TEKU'A,   THE   SITE   OF  TEKOA. 

Showing  the  remains  of  a  Byzantine  church,  and  its  massive  baptismal 
font  of  octagonal  form. 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUDAlA. 


189 


Hebron.  It  is  one  of  the  highest  isolated  points  in  this  part  of  the  country.  The  view 
embraces  the  country  round  Hebron,  but  not  the  city  itself;  and  though  shut  in  to  the  north, 
is  unveiled  towards  the  south  and  south-east.  We  could  see  the  whole  southern  wilderness 
of  Judah,  rapidly  descending  from  Nabal's  Carmel,  which  is  very  distinct,  with  its  tower,  seven 
miles  south,  and  seeming  to  form  a  gradually  sloping  plain  rather  than  a  series  of  ravines, 
which  it  really  is.  The  mountains  east  of  the  Dead  Sea  (see  page  185)  can  be  traced  from 
the  neighbourhood  of  Heshbon  southwards,  and  through  two  openings  glimpses  of  the  sea  itself 
may  be  caught,  one  by  the  pass  of  Engedi  (see  page  200),  and  another  showing  a  portion  of 
the  sandy  promontory  of  the  Lisan  (see  page  204).  The  Muhammedans,  in  dedicating  this  as 
a  holy  site,  appear  to  have  seized  on  an  old  Christian  tradition,  for  this  height  is  evidently 
the  Caphar  Barucha  of  Jerome,  which  was  visited  by  his  friend  Paula  as  the  place  where 


RAMET-  EL   KHOlIL,   THE   SITE   OF   MAMRE. 

The  camping-place  of  Abraham.     It  is  a  little  way  to  the  right  of  the  old  Roman  road  to  Jerusalem,  and  is  also  known  as  Beit  Khulil,  "  the  house 

of  Abraham." 


Abraham  met  the  Lord.  The  village  itself  is  well  built  of  stone,  with  some  ancient  remains, 
and  the  surrounding  lands  are  well  tilled;  but  we  are  here  almost  on  the  limits  of  arable 
cultivation. 

This  Barucha  must  not  be  confused  with  the  Berachah  of  2  Chronicles  xx.  26,  near  Tekoa 
(see  page  188),  where  Jehoshaphat  and  his  army  returned  thanks  for  their  miraculous  deliverance 
from  the  combined  forces  of  Ammon,  Moab,  and  Edom,  who  had  turned  their  arms  against 
each  other  in  mutual  slaughter  near  Tekoa,  before  the  Jewish  king  and  his  troops  could  meet 
them.  The  name  they  gave  to  the  place  was  the  Valley  of  Berachah,  i.e.  "blessing."  The 
name  has  continued  to  this  day  in  the  Wady  Bereikuh,  a  wide  open  valley  between  Tekoa  and 
the  road  from  Hebron  to  Bethlehem,  and  represented  on  page  184.  It  does  not  lie  directly 
in  our  course,  but  may  conveniently  be  visited  by  following  the  Roman  road  northward  till 
within  three  miles  of  the  Pools  of  Solomon  (see  page  145,  vol.  i.) ;  or,  more  conveniently  still, 
vol.  in.  c  c 


i9o  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

by  pursuing  the  mountain  track  parallel  to  this  along  the  crest  of  the  ridge  towards  Tekoa,  and 
then  descending  at  once  on  Berachah.  West  of  this  ridge  there  is  general  cultivation ;  the 
eastern  slopes  are  for  the  most  part  bare  downs,  with  sparse  stunted  shrubs,  pastured  over  by 
the  Ta'amireh  Arabs,  abounding  in  partridge,  and  the  favourite  haunt  of  the  gazelle  and  a  few 
ibexes  or  wild  goats. 

From  the  Wady  Bereikuh  a  ride  of  five  miles  brings  us  to  Tekoa  (see  page  188),  crossing 
the  little  upland  plain,  ensconced  in  a  circle  of  hills,  called  Bukat  et  Teku'a.     In  front  of  us  is  a 
long  hill,  with  a  copious  spring  at  its  foot  and  ruins  on  its  top.     The  name  is  scarcely  changed, 
Teku'a  for  Tekoa,  and  the  district  in  its  natural  features  seems  to  have  been  always  what  it 
is  now — bare,  treeless,  open  pasturage.     We  here  lose  all  traces  of  the  ancient  terraces  which 
gird  the  undulations  of  every  hill  farther  west  with  their  swathing  bands.     Here  and  there  are 
still  patches  of  cultivation  in  the  hollows  of  the  valleys,  but  the  soil  is  dry  and  stony,  and  we 
begin  here  to  lose  the  rich  vegetable  mould  which,  however  scanty,  still  covers  more  or  less 
the  whole  of  the  central  hills,  and  have,  in  its  stead,  only  a  thirsty  chalky  marl.    That  vegetable 
soil  is  doubtless  due,  in  the  first  instance,  to  the  primaeval  forest,  which  certainly  once  covered 
the  whole  of  the  Judaean  as  of  the  Gilead  range,  but  which  has  left  no  traces  of  its  existence 
on  the  western  slopes  towards  the  Dead  Sea  (see  page  185).     Tekoa  thus  stood  on  the  outskirts 
of  civilisation.     Though  a  city,  and  a  fortified  one,  for  its  strategic  importance  is  evident,  and 
it  was  the  permanent  advanced  post  towards  the  pass  of  Engedi  (see  page  200),  yet  it  is  not 
girt  with  a  number  of  low  ruin-topped  knolls,  like  the  strongholds  of  the  country  we  have  been 
traversing.     As  a  town  it  stood  in  the  centre  of  a  nomad  district,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the 
region  eastward  dwelt  in  tents  like  their  modern  successors,  the  Ta'amireh  Arabs.     But  that  it 
was  always  a  garrison  post  is  indicated  by  the  words,  "  Blow  the  trumpet  in  Tekoa,  and  set  up 
a  sign  of  fire  in  Beth-Haccerim"  (i.e.  Frank  Mountain,  or  Jebel  Fureidis,  the  peak  facing  us  on 
the  north),  (see  page   137,  vol.  i.).     Tekoa  was  fortified  by  Rehoboam  as  one  of  his  frontier 
posts.     Of  its  large  buildings  little  remains  that  can  be  identified ;  but  it  was  occupied  during 
the  Christian  era,  and  the  most  conspicuous  ruin  is  that  of  the  Byzantine  church,  with  the 
broken  columns  of  its  aisles,  and  a  large  baptismal  font  well  wrought  in  hard  limestone  (see 
page  188).     St.  Saba  established  a  convent  here;  and  the  Crusaders  resettled  the  place,  only 
to  be  again,  after  their  expulsion  from  the  country,  devastated  by  the  Bedawin. 

But  the  chief  interest  of  Tekoa  is  not  its  history,  but  the  fact  of  its  being  the  birthplace 
and  home  of  the  prophet  Amos,  a  "herdsman  of  Tekoa"  and  a  "gatherer  of  wild  figs."  His 
early  life  here,  the  character  of  the  country,  and  the  nature  of  his  calling,  have  stamped  his 
writings  with  an  individuality  which  has  attracted  the  notice  of  every  student  and  critic,  from 
St  Jerome,  the  father  of  commentators,  downwards. 

From  Tekoa  to  Engedi  (see  page  203)  there  is  no  track,  but  we  may  follow  the  course  of 
the  wadys  which  converge  towards  the  pass,  the  Wady  Husasah,  Wady  el  Jihar,  or  Wady  el 
Areijeh.  All  are  equally  featureless,  all  alike  without  relics  of  the  past,  or  dwellings  of  the 
present.     But  any  of  them  afford  an  admirable  opportunity  for  studying  the  natural  products, 


THE  SOUTH  COUNTRY  OF  JUDMA.  191 

especially  the  flora  of  the  wilderness  or  midbar,  "  the  highland  downs,"  as  contrasted  with  the 
lowland  plains.  During  the  ride  we  descend  from  Tekoa — which  is  two  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  eighty-eight  feet  above  the  sea — two  thousand  one  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet  to  the 
cliff  over  Engedi  (see  page  205),  which,  though  only  six  hundred  and  sixty  feet  higher  than  the 
Mediterranean,  yet  overlooks  the  Dead  Sea  immediately  beneath  from  a  height  of  all  but  two 
thousand  feet  (see  page  204).  On  the  way  we  see  here  and  there  traces  of  ancient  beacon 
stations.  One  of  these  may  have  been  that  "  watch-tower  in  the  wilderness,"  the  wilderness 
of  Jeruel,  mentioned  in  Jehoshaphat's  history  (2  Chronicles  xx.).  But  of  the  name  Jeruel  we 
have  found  no  trace  in  the  Arabic  nomenclature,  though  this  must  be  the  region,  as  it  lay 
between  Tekoa  and  Engedi.  But  of  Hazziz,  the  cliff  of  Ziz,  we  have  the  equivalent  in  El 
Hasasah,  the  tableland  just  before  the  pass. 

The  pass  itself  is  not  recognisable  till  we  are  close  upon  it.  It  is  simply  a  zigzag  path, 
chiefly  artificial,  but  occasionally  aided  by  nature,  cut  out  of  the  sides  of  the  precipices,  at  the 
inner  edge  of  a  semicircular  wall  of  cliff,  which,  spanning  a  chord  of  about  one  and  a  half  miles, 
embraces  a  horse-shoe  plain,  which  gently  slopes  to  the  shore  and  forms  a  sub-tropical  oasis. 
This  pass  and  cliff  have  been,  from  the  days  of  Chedorlaomer  and  Abraham,  the  one  ascent 
by  which  invaders  from  the  south  and  east  entered  the  hill  country  of  Judsea.  As  far  as 
Engedi  they  could  march  by  the  shore  without  any  obstacle ;  north  of  it  the  shore  line  is 
impracticable,  even  for  footmen,  and  there  are  no  paths  by  which  beasts  could  be  led  up.  Had 
they  taken  any  of  the  openings  south  of  Engedi  this  must  have  entailed  a  long  march  across 
a  rough  and  almost  waterless  wilderness.  The  trade  between  Jerusalem  and  Kerak  in  Moab 
is  still  carried  on  by  this  route,  by  which  also  the  salt  is  brought  from  Jebel  Usdum. 

Few  landscapes  are  more  impressive  than  the  sudden  unfolding  of  the  Dead  Sea  basin,  and 
its  eastern  wall,  from  the  top  of  the  pass  of  Engedi  (see  pages  200  and  201).  The  whole 
length  of  the  lake  may  here  be  taken  in  one  view ;  the  opposite  hills  are  veiled  in  a  delicate 
haze,  the  evaporation  from  the  sea  clothing  the  mountain-sides  with  a  gauzy  pink,  and  the  tops 
with  as  gauzy  and  light,  a  blue.  We  wind  down  the  zigzag  niche  which  serves  for  a  path. 
After  descending  more  than  one  thousand  two  hundred  feet,  there  is  a  break  in  the  cliff.  It 
becomes  a  rugged  slope  for  the  next  six  hundred  feet,  and  at  the  base  of  a  rock,  the  copious 
warm  fresh  "  Fountain  of  the  Kid"  (En-gedi  or  'Ain-Jidy)*  bursts  forth  amidst  an  oasis  of 
tropical  vegetation  (see  page  203),  and  then,  kid-like,  skips  from  rock  to  rock  till  it  reaches 
the  plain  below.  From  the  level  at  which  this  spring  gushes  out  of  the  cliff  there  are  evidences 
of  the  most  careful  system  of  irrigation,  carried  round  the  little  amphitheatre  at  different  levels, 
in  the  days  when  the  palm,  the  camphire,  and  the  sugar-cane  brought  in  rich  revenues  to  the 
possessors  of  the  oasis.  It  is  still  the  home  of  many  of  the  choicest  and  most  peculiar  plants, 
birds,  and  insects  of  the  Dead  Sea  shore.      The  camphire  still  lingers.      The  fine  and  striking 

*  The  ancient  name  of  Engedi  (' Ain-Jidy)  was  Hazezon-tamar,  "  the  pruning  of  the  palm"  (Genesis  xiv.  7).  There  is  no  doubt  about  this 
identification,  for,  in  2  Chronicles  xx.  2,  the  place  is  referred  to  as  "  Hazazon-tamar,  which  is  Engedi."  The  vineyards  and  camphire  of  Engedi 
are  mentioned  in  the  Song  of  Solomon,  and  Pliny  praises  its  palm-trees,  which,  according  to  Josephus,  were  of  "  the  best  kind  "  (Ant.  ix.  1,  §  2) ; 
he  also  alludes  to  its  precious  balsam,  "opobalsamum."  In  the  time  of  Eusebius  "  Engaddi "  was  still  a  place  of  importance,  and  its  position, 
"  east  of  Hebron,"  is  described  by  the  Arab  historian,  Mejr  ed  Din,  who  wrote  towards  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  century. — M.  E.  R. 

C    C    2 


192 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


asclepiad,  the  osier,  is  abundant,  and  over  its  great  leaves  hover  some  richly  painted  Nubian 
butterflies,  while  bulbuls  and  sunbirds  suck  the  bright  blossoms  of  the  Indian  parasite  (Lonicera 
indica).     Engedi  is  the  true  halting-place  for  those  who  purpose  to  examine  the  marvellous 


WADY  ET   TUFFAH,  COMMONLY  CALLED  THE  VALE  OF   ESHCOL. 

The  peasants  grouped  in  the  foreground  are  under  the  southern  branches  of  Abraham's  oak.    In  the  distance  the  minaret  of  the  great  mosque  of 

Sheikh  'Ali  Bakka,  Hebron,  may  be  distinguished. 

remains  of  Masada,  the  fortress  and  the  Roman  camp  around  it,  which  can  be  visited  with  only 
an  absence  of  one  night  from  camp,  and  which  from  their  position,  their  workmanship,  and 
their  history,  are  the  most  remarkable  remains  on  either  side  of  the  Dead  Sea  shore. 


ABRAHAM'S  OAK,    HEBRON. 

An  ilex  or  evergreen  holm  oak  {quercus  pseudo-coccifera).     One  of  the  lower  branches  was  broken  down  by  a  heavy  fall  of  snow  in  the  winter  of 
1850.    It  was  cut  up  into  logs  and  conveyed  to  Jerusalem  ;  there  were  seven  camel-loads ;  one  log  was  sent  to  England. 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND  AND  DEAD  SEA. 


HP*  HE  RE  is  no  pleasanter  place  for  an  encampment  in  Southern  Palestine  than  in  the  valley 
■*■  which  leads  to  Hebron,  the  Wady  Tuffah,  especially  during  the  vintage  season,  and  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  traditional  oak  of  Abraham  (see  page  192).  This  giant  tree,  which 
measures  thirty-two  feet  in  circumference,  and  whose  leafy  crown  is  supported  by  four  main 
branches  fifty  feet  in  length,  is  reverenced  as  the  direct  surviving  representative  of  the  oaks 
(erroneously  rendered  "  Plain  ")  of  Mamre  beneath  which  the  patriarch  was  encamped  when  he 
entertained  his  angelic  visitors  and  received  the  news  of  the  future  birth  of  Isaac,  the  son  of 
promise.  The  oak  rears  its  head  amongst  the  vineyards  north-west  of  Hebron,  and  is 
surrounded  by  a  stone  wall,  built  by  the  Russians,  to  whom  the  field  in  which  it  stands  belongs. 
It  is  known  as  Ballutet  Sebta,  or  the  "  Oak  of  Rest,"  and  it  is  supposed  to  be  about  two 
hundred  years  old.      Tradition  has  at  different  times  shown  the  world-famed  tree  at  various 


i94  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

sites.  Josephus  mentions  "a  very  large  terebinth-tree,  which  has  continued  ever  since  the 
creation  of  the  world,"  as  existing  about  six  furlongs  from  the  city  of  Hebron.  St.  Jerome 
places  it  at  what  is  now  known  as  Ramet  el  Khulil,  the  traditional  site  of  Mamre  (see  page 
189),  where  a  large  stone  enclosure,  a  wall  and  other  ruins  are  to  be  found;  and  Sir  John 
Maundeville  speaks  of  Abraham's  Oak,  which  he,  however,  describes  as  "  the  dry  tree."  "  They 
say,"  writes  the  old  traveller,  "  that  it  has  been  there  since  the  beginning  of  the  world,  that  it 
once  was  green  and  bore  leaves  till  the  time  that  our  Lord  died  on  the  cross,  and  then  it  died, 
and  so  did  all  the  trees  that  were  then  in  the  world."  The  present  oak,  the  "  Ballutet  Sebta," 
in  the  Wady  Tiiffah,  is  green  and  flourishing,  and  the  situation  which  it  occupies  accords  with 
the  Bible  description  of  Mamre.  There  is  nothing  improbable  in  the  supposition  that  it  is  the 
descendant  of  the  ancient  grove  (see  page  193).  As  a  rule,  the  oaks  do  not  grow  to  a  great 
size,  being  cropped  while  yet  young  by  the  goats ;  but  sometimes  a  tree  is  preserved  for 
superstitious  reasons  and  attains  to  an  immense  age.  The  worship  of  trees  is  an  old  and  widely 
spread  form  of  primitive  religious  cult.  The  Bible  constantly  couples  the  mention  of  groves 
with  "  high  places  "  and  other  sanctuaries  of  idolatrous  worship ;  the  ancient  oracle  of  Zeus 
Dendrites  at  Dodona  was  an  oak,  and  Maximus  Tyrius  writes  of  the  religion  of  the  Druids, 
"  The  image  of  the  Celtic  Zeus  is  a  tall  oak."  So  inseparably  were  groves  connected  with  the 
worship  of  false  gods  that  the  Israelites  were  distinctly  forbidden  "  to  plant  a  grove  of  any 
trees  near  unto  the  altar  of  the  Lord"  (see  Deut.  xvi.  21).  In  spite  of  this  prohibition  we  find 
Hosea  (iv.  13)  lamenting  that  the  people  "sacrifice  upon  the  tops  of  the  mountains  and  burn 
incense  upon  the  hills,  under  oaks  and  poplars  and  elms."  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at  that  a 
grove  so  intimately  connected  with  the  most  solemn  events  in  the  life  of  the  Father  of  the 
Jewish  race  should  be  venerated  by  his  descendants,  or  the  memory  of  the  site  kept  up  for 
ages  and  a  representative  tree  always  cultivated  on  the  spot. 

A  half-hour's  journey  farther  on  takes  us  to  Hebron,  now  called  Medinet  el  Khulil,  "  the 
City  of  the  Friend,"  or  simply  "el  Khulil ;"  Khulil  Allah,  or  "  the  Friend  of  God,"  being  the 
name  by  which  the  patriarch  Abraham  is  known  to  the  Muhammedans  (St.  James  ii.  23).  Few 
spots  in  the  Holy  Land  have  such  deeply  interesting  associations  as  this.  Here  it  was  that 
Abraham  purchased  of  Ephron  the  Hittite  the  double  cave  Machpelah  to  serve  as  a  sepulchre 
for  himself  and  his  house.  It  was  from  Hebron  that  Jacob  sent  his  son  Joseph  to  Sichem, 
when  the  Dreamer  was  cast  by  his  brethren  into  the  well  and  sold  to  the  Midianites.  Hence 
later  on  the  aged  Jacob  set  out  for  Egypt  by  way  of  Beersheba  (see  page  209),  and  here  the 
patriarch's  bones  were  brought  to  rest  beside  his  kin.  Hebron  was  laid  waste  by  Joshua,  and 
its  surrounding  territory  was  given  to  Caleb,  while  the  city  itself  was  made  over  as  a  city  of 
refuge  to  the  house  of  Aaron.  David,  after  his  romantic  adventures  in  the  Wilderness  of 
Judaea,  reigned  in  Hebron  for  seven  and  a  half  years,  until,  becoming  sovereign  of  the  whole 
land  of  Israel,  he  removed  the  seat  of  his  government  to  Jerusalem.  At  the  gates  of 
Hebron  Abner  was  slain  by  Joab,  and  by  the  pool  of  Hebron  (see  page  196)  David  put  to 
death   the  murderers  of  Ishbosheth,  the  son  of  Saul.      The  rebellious  Absalom  too  betook 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND.  i95 

himself  to  Hebron,  "  to  fulfil  a  vow  "  and  offer  up  sacrifices  at  the  altar  of  Jehovah  for  the 
success  of  his  revolt  against  his  father,  for  then  as  now  Hebron  was  next  in  sanctity  only  to 
Jerusalem  itself.  The  ancient  name  of  Hebron  was  Kirjath-Arba,  literally  "the  city  of  four," 
which  the  rabbinical  commentators  explain  to  mean  the  four  patriarchs  Abraham,  Isaac, 
Jacob,  and  Adam.  The  Bible,  however,  says,  "  And  the  name  of  Hebron  before  was  Kirjath- 
Arba;  which  Arba  was  a  great  man  among  the  Anakims."     (Josh.  xiv.  15.) 

Unlike  most  towns  in  Palestine,  Hebron  does  not  stand  upon  a  hill,  but  lies  in  the  narrow 
part  of  a  valley,  called  Wady  Khulil,  the  continuation  of  Widy  et  Tuffah.  Some  have 
conjectured  that  the  ancient  city  was  situated  on  the  hill  north-west  of  the  modern  town  : 
this  would  agree  with  the  Bible  narrative,  which  makes  Machpelah  to  have  been  "  in  a  field 
before  Mamre — the  same  is  Hebron."  It  is  easy  to  understand  how  a  new  town  might  grow 
up  round  the  sacred  site,  while  the  original  one  would  disappear.  The  neighbourhood  is 
exceedingly  fertile  and  the  valley  has  been  supposed  to  be  that  of  Eshcol  from  the  luxuriance 
with  which  the  vines  thrive  there.  But  this  site  should  more  probably  be  looked  for  in  the 
mountain  plateau  south  of  Judaea,  which  now  forms  part  of  the  Desert  of  the  Tih,  but  which 
must  in  former  times  have  been  as  fertile  as  Palestine  itself.  Although  all  is  now  arid 
and  bare  from  the  failure  of  the  water  supply,  there  are  the  ruins  of  immense  works  for 
irrigation,  and  the  terraced  hillsides  are  covered  with  small  stone  heaps  in  regular  order,  which 
are  still  called  Teleilat  el  'Anab,  or  "  grape-mounds."  The  grapes  of  Hebron  are  large,  and 
the  clusters  grow  to  an  immense  size.  There  is  a  tradition  that  it  was  here  that  Father  Noah 
planted  the  vine  ;  his  grave  is  shown  at  Dura,  the  ancient  Dora,  a  little  to  the  west. 

The  town  of  Hebron  contains  four  quarters  :  Haret  esh  Sheikh,  "  the  sheikh's  quarter," 
so  called  from  the  fine  mosque  of  Sheikh  'AH  Bakka  on  the  north-west,  which  dates  from  the 
time  of  the  Mamelukes  (see  page  197)  ;  Haret  Bab  ez  Zawiyeh,  "the  quarter  of  the  Cloister 
Gate,"  on  the  west ;  Haret  el  Haram,  "  the  quarter  of  the  Sanctuary,"  on  the  south-east ;  and 
Haret  el  Musharikeh,  "  the  common  quarter,"  on  the  south.  The  population  is  from  eight 
thousand  to  ten  thousand,  of  whom  five  hundred  are  Jews.  These  are  the  only  foreigners 
permitted  in  the  place  ;  they  exercise  no  trade  or  industry,  but  subsist  on  the  charity  of  their 
European  co-religionists,  for  whom  they  offer  up  prayers  in  return  at  this  peculiarly  holy  place.* 

On  approaching  the  city,  the  first  object  which  meets  the  eye  is  the  square  castle-like 
structure  of  the  Hardm,  with  its  towering  walls  of  ancient  and  massive  masonry  (see  steel  plate). 
These,  as  already  stated,  enclose  the  mosque  which  now  covers  the  cave  of  Machpelah. 
According  to  Jewish  opinion,  it  was  Solomon  who  first  erected  the  mausoleum,  Esther  who 
restored  it,  and  the  Empress  Helena  who  rebuilt  it  after  it  had  been  destroyed  or  fallen  into 
decay.  The  walls  of  the  Haram  at  Hebron  are  the  most  perfect  examples  of  masonry  of  the 
kind  which  exist  in   Palestine,  almost  surpassing  even  the  ancient  portions  of  the  walls  of 

*  There  is  an  important  and  anciently  founded  glass  factory  on  the  north  side  of  the  Haram ;  here  lamps  and  smooth  rings  of  coloured 
glass,  worn  as  bracelets,  are  made  in  great  numbers,  and  distributed  all  over  the  country.  Hebron  supplies  the  southern  districts  with  water- 
skins  made  of  goats'  hides ;  and  there  are  a  few  primitive  hand-looms  in  the  town,  where  strong  rough  carpets  are  produced. — M.  E.  R. 


I96  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

the  Temple  area  at  Jerusalem.     The  stones  are  still  so  well  fitted  together  that,  notwithstanding 


THE   POOLS   OF   HEBRON. 
The  chief  pool  is  one  hundred  and  thirty-two  feet  square,  and  twenty-one  feet  deep.    There  are  stone  steps  leading  to  the  bottom  at  each  corner. 
The  other  pool  is  eighty-four  feet  in  length,  and  fifty-four  feet  in  width.    The  enclosed  building  in  the  distance,  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  to  the 
left,  is  the  Quarantine  station. 

their  antiquity,  no  vegetation  has  yet  found  the  least  place  to  grow  between   them.      The 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND. 


197 


building  within  the  sacred  enclosure  which  formerly  occupied  the  place  of  the  present  mosque 
was  a  well-built  square  stone  erection,  like  the  Kaabeh  at  Mecca,  and  is  mentioned  by  the 
Bordeaux  Pilgrim,  ad.  333.  Benjamin  of  Tudela,  a  learned  Jew  who  visited  it  in  1160, 
describes  "  the  great  church  of  St.  Abraham  "  as  having  been  at  one  time  a  Jewish  synagogue, 


On  the  rocky  heights  south  of  the  city.  Beyond  the 
cemetery  and  olive  proves  the  Haret  esh  Sheikh, 
the  northern  quarter  of  Hebron,  appears. 


although  the  tombs  of  the  patriarchs 
had  been  rebuilt  by  the  Christians. 
Amongst  others,  he  copied  an  inscription  in  Hebrew 
characters  which  ran  as  follows:  —  "This  is  the  tomb  of 
Abraham  our  father,  on  whom  be  peace."  The  interior  of  >"! 
the  mosque  is  veiled  in  a  mysterious  gloom,  the  light  only 
penetrating  from  the  south  side  into  the  side  aisles.  But 
numerous  lamps  by  night  and  day  shed  their  light  around, 
and  throw  a  weird  glitter  upon  the  gold  and  silver  ornamen- 
tation on  the  walls.  The  entrance  to  the  mosque  is  most 
jealously  forbidden  by  the  Muhammedans  to  any  but  their  fellow-worshippers ;  by  special 
firman  of  the  Sultan,  an  exception  was  made  in  favour  of  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  1862,  the 
Marquis  of  Bute  in  1866,  the  Crown  Prince  of  Prussia  in  1869,  and  the  sons  of  the  Prince  of 
Wales  in  the  present  year,  1882. 

VOL.   III.  D    D 


i98  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Of  these  occasions  the  most  noteworthy  was  the  visit  of  the  Prince  of  Wales.  His  Royal 
Highness  was  accompanied  by  the  late  Dean  Stanley,  who  thus  describes  the  event : — "  Before 
our  arrival  at  Hebron,  the  Governor  of  Jerusalem,  Suraya  Pasha,  had  made  every  preparation 
to  ensure  the  safety  of  the  experiment.  Accordingly,  as  the  protracted  file  wound  through  the 
narrow  valley  by  which  the  town  of  Hebron  is  approached  (see  page  192),  the  whole  road  on 
either  side,  for  more  than  a  mile,  was  lined  with  soldiers.  The  native  population,  which  usually 
on  the  Prince's  approach  to  a  town  streamed  out  to  meet  him,  was  invisible,  it  may  be  from 
compulsion,  it  may  be  from  silent  indignation.  We  at  length  reached  the  green  sward  in  front 
of  the  town,  crowned  by  the  Quarantine  (see  page  196).  There  Suraya  Pasha  received  us.  It 
had  been  arranged  that  His  Royal  Highness  should  be  accompanied  by  the  two  members  of 
the  party  who  had  given  most  attention  to  Biblical  pursuits,  so  as  to  make  it  evident  that 
the  visit  was  not  one  of  mere  curiosity,  but  had  also  a  distinct  scientific  purpose.  It  was,  how- 
ever, finally  conceded  by  the  Governor  that  the  whole  of  the  suite  should  be  included,  amount- 
ing to  seven  persons  besides  the  Prince.  The  servants  remained  behind.  We  started  on  foot, 
two  and  two,  between  two  files  of  soldiers,  by  the  ancient  pool  of  Hebron  (see  page  196),  up 
the  narrow  streets  of  the  modern  town,  still  lined  with  soldiers.  Hardly  a  face  was  visible  as 
we  passed  through ;  only  here  and  there  a  solitary  guard,  stationed  at  a  vacant  window,  or  on 
the  flat  roof  of  a  projecting  house,  evidently  to  guarantee  the  safety  of  the  party  from  any  chance 
missile.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  complete  military  occupation  of  the  town.  At  length  we  reached  the 
south-eastern  corner  of  the  massive  wall  of  enclosure,  the  point  at  which  enquiring  travellers, 
from  generation  to  generation,  have  been  checked  in  their  approach  to  this,  the  most  ancient 
and  the  most  authentic  of  all  the  Holy  Places  in  the  Holy  Land. 

"  Up  the  steep  flight  of  the  exterior  staircase — gazing  close  at  hand  on  the  polished  surface 
of  the  wall,  amply  justifying  Josephus's  account  of  the  marble-like  appearance  of  the  huge 
stones  which  compose  it — we  rapidly  mounted.  At  the  head  of  the  staircase,  which,  by  its  long 
ascent,  showed  that  the  platform  of  the  Mosque  was  on  the  uppermost  slope  of  the  hill,  and 
therefore  above  the  level  where,  if  anywhere,  the  sacred  cave  would  be  found,  a  short  turn  at 
once  brought  us  within  the  precincts,  and  revealed  to  us  for  the  first  time  the  wall  from  the 
inside.  A  later  wall  of  Muhammedan  times  has  been  built  on  the  top  of  the  Jewish  enclosure. 
The  enclosure  itself,  as  seen  from  the  inside,  rises  but  a  few  feet  above  the  platform. 

"  Here  we  were  received  with  much  ceremony  by  five  or  six  persons,  corresponding  to  the 
dean  and  canons  of  a  Christian  cathedral.  They  were  the  representatives  of  the  forty  here- 
ditary guardians  of  the  mosque. 

"  We  passed  at  once  through  an  open  court  into  the  mosque. 

The  whole  building  occupies  about  one-third  of  the  platform 

"  I  now  proceed  to  describe  the  Tombs  of  the  Patriarchs,  premising  always  that  these 
tombs,  like  all  those  in  Muhammedan  mosques,  and  indeed  like  most  tombs  in  Christian 
churches,  do  not  profess  to  be  the  actual  places  of  sepulture,  but  are  merely  monuments  or 
cenotaphs  in  honour  of  the  dead  who  lie  beneath.     Each  is  enclosed  within  a  separate  chapel 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND.     .  i99 

or  shrine,  closed  with  gates  or  railings  similar  to  those  which  surround  or  enclose  the  private 
chapels  or  royal  tombs  in  Westminster  Abbey.  The  two  first  of  these  shrines  are  contained  in 
the  inner  portico  or  narthex,  before  the  entrance  into  the  actual  building  of  the  mosque.  In 
the  recess  on  the  right  is  the  shrine  of  Abraham,  in  the  recess  on  the  left  that  of  Sarah,  each 
guarded  by  silver  gates.  The  shrine  of  Sarah  we  were  requested  not  to  enter,  as  being  that 
of  a  woman.  A  pall  lay  over  it.  The  shrine  of  Abraham,  after  a  momentary  hesitation,  was 
thrown  open.  The  guardians  groaned  aloud.  But  their  chief  turned  to  us  with  the  remark, 
'  The  Princes  of  any  other  nation  should  have  passed  over  my  dead  body  sooner  than  enter. 
But  to  the  eldest  son  of  the  Queen  of  England  we  are  willing  to  accord  even  this  privilege.'  He 
stepped  in  before  us,  and  offered  an  ejaculatory  prayer  to  the  dead  patriarch:  'O  Friend  of 
God,  forgive  this  intrusion.'  We  then  entered.  The  chamber  is  cased  in  marble.  The  so- 
called  tomb  consists  of  a  coffin-like  structure  about  six  feet  high,  built  up  of  plastered  stone 
or  marble,  and  hung  with  three  carpets,  green  embroidered  with  gold.  They  are  said  to  have 
been  presented  by  Muhammed  II.,  the  conqueror  of  Constantinople  (a.d.  1453),  Selim  I.,  the 
conqueror  of  Egypt  (a.d.  15 18),  and  the  Sultan  Abdul  Mejtd.  Fictitious  as  the  actual  struc- 
ture was,  it  was  impossible  not  to  feel  a  thrill  of  unusual  emotion  at  standing  on  such  a  spot — an 
emotion  enhanced  by  the  rare  occasion  which  had  opened  the  gates  of  that  consecrated  place,  as 
the  guardian  of  the  mosque  kept  repeating  to  us  as  we  stood  round  the  tomb,  '  to  no  one  less 
than  the  representative  of  England.'  " 

The  next  most  interesting  objects  in  Hebron  are  the  two  pools  (see  page  196).  The 
larger  of  these  lies  low  down  in  the  bed  of  the  valley,  which  here  begins  to  make  a  dip, 
running  down  with  a  steady  declivity  to  the  ancient  border  of  Beersheba ;  the  other  is  situated 
somewhat  higher  up  in  the  wady,  and  is  a  little  more  than  half  the  size.  The  first-mentioned 
is  traditionally  regarded  as  the  scene  of  the  murder  of  Ishbosheth. 

From  Hebron  the  traveller  may  make  a  short  but  deeply  interesting  journey  of  some 
seven  or  eight  hours  to  the  southern  end  of  the  Dead  Sea.  Mounting  the  slopes  of  Jebel 
Jobar  to  the  south-east,  .we  come  in  about  an  hour  and  a  half  to  a  small  hill  on  the  left,  called 
Tell  Zif.  This  is  the  Ziph  of  Holy  Writ.  The  ruins  lie  on  a  low  hill  or  ridge  between  two 
small  wadys  which  run  from  this  point  down  to  the  Dead  Sea.  It  was  in  the  vicinity  of  this 
city  that  David  hid  himself  (1  Sam.  xxiii.  24)  and  wandered  as  an  outlaw  in  the  wilderness  ; 
and  "  every  one  that  was  in  distress,  and  every  one  that  was  in  debt,  and  every  one  that  was 
discontented,  gathered  themselves  unto  him,"  until  his  band  mustered  four  hundred  men. 
The  inhabitants  of  Ziph  twice  attempted  to  betray  him  into  the  hands  of  his  persecutor.  The 
town  was  afterwards  fortified  by  Rehoboam,  after  which  it  passes  out  of  history,  the  last 
mention  of  it  being  made  by  Jerome  in  the  Onomasticon.  Another  hour's  travelling  in  an 
eastward  direction  brings  us  to  Wady  Khabra,  where  for  the  first  time  we  enter  upon  the  great 
wilderness  of  Judaea.  Passing  thence  over  a  broad  plateau,  a  favourite  camping-ground  of  the 
Bedawin,  we  reach  at  length  the  top  of  the  Pass  of  Engedi,  where  the  Dead  Sea  and  the  rugged 
mountains  of  Moab  first  burst  upon  the  view  (see  page  201). 

d  d  2 


200 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


When,  as  often  happens  in  the  rainy  season,  the  sky  is  overcast  with  clouds,  a  dense  haze 
obscuring  the  mountains,  and  a  fleecy  mist  hovers  over  the  water,  the  Dead  Sea  seems,  indeed, 
worthy  of  its  name  :  look  where  one  may,  no  sign  of  life  is  visible,  and  no  sound  is  heard  save 
the  dull  monotonous  surging  of  the  waves.     The  shore,  too,  is  the  very  picture  of  barrenness 


THE    DEAD   SEA,    LOOKING   NORTH-EAST    FROM    ENGEDI. 
Anciently  called  the  Salt  Sea,  and  Sea  of  the  Plain.    The  name  Dead  Sea,  now  so  familiar,  does  not  occur  in  the  Bible ;  it  was  adopted  by- 
Greek  and  Roman  writers  in  the  second  century  of  our  era.    The  Arabs  call  this  sea  Bahr  Lut  (Sea  of  Lot). 

and  desolation,  the  white  salt  incrustation  which  covers  it  being  only  relieved  by  the  dark 
patches  of  black  rolling  mud  or  stagnant  pools  of  brine. 

But  on  a  bright  and  sunny  day  the  salt  lake  wears  a  far  different  aspect.     The  clear 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND. 


201 


transparent  waters  then  sparkle  with  a  sapphire  hue,  and  the  mountains  glow  with  variegated 
tints.  All  animated  nature  also  seems  to  quicken  into  life,  and  flocks  of  storks  and  cranes 
may  be  seen  flying  overhead  (see  page  200).     The  Ghor,  or  low-lying  plain  at  the  northern 


At  this  point  the  Dead  Sea  is  about  nine  miles  in  width. 
There  is  a  continuous  beach  of  varying  breadth  along 
the  western  shore. 


and  southern  ends  of  the  lake,  teems 

with    an    almost    tropical    vegetation, 

and    the    rivulets   which    dash    down 

the  ravines  in  the  steep  cliffs   bring 

down  the  verdure  with  them  almost  to  the  Dead  Sea 

brink. 

Moab  is  a  large  flat  plateau  descending  in  abrupt 
cliffs  on  its  western  side  into  the   Dead  Sea  and  the 
Jordan  Valley.*      The     scene     is   full    of    the   deepest    historical 
interest :  the  cliffs,  which  face  the  spectator  as  he  gazes  on  them 
from  Engedi,   are  divided  by  the  great  chasm  of  Wady  Mojeb, 
the  Arnon   of  the  Bible  (see  engraving).      From  yonder  heights 


Balaam  blessed  Israel,  and  Moses  looked  upon  the  promised  land  which  he  might  never  enter. 


*  For  Canon  Tristram's  description  of  the  northern  part  of  the  Dead  Sea  refer  to  pages  154 — 161,  vol.  i.,  and  for  further  illustrations  of  the 
Dead  Sea,  Moab  Mountains,  and  Jordan  Valley,  see  pages  152,  159,  163,  165,  167,  and  168. 


202  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Stretching  out  into  the  lake  on  the  south-west  is  the  promontory  of  El  Lisan,  "  the 
tongue "  (see  page  204),  and  far  above  it,  on  a  high  precipitous  rock,  stands  the  mediaeval 
bastioned  castle  of  Kerek.  Kerek  is  called  in  the  Bible  Kir-Hareseth,  Haresh,  or  Heres, 
and  the  latter  part  of  this  name  has  for  a  long  time  puzzled  commentators  and  philologists. 
When  at  Diban,  the  ancient  Dibon,  where  the  celebrated  "  Moabite  stone "  was  found,  I 
learned  that  the  term  "  Harith "  in  the  local  patois  of  the  district  means  a  hill  surmounted 
by  buildings.  As  "Harith"  is  the  exact  Arabic  equivalent  of  the  Hebrew  "  Haresh,"  Kir- 
Hareseth  would  mean  "  the  city  on  the  hill,"  a  description  the  accuracy  of  which  is  patent 
to  the  eye,  especially  when  viewed  from  our  present  standpoint.  This  furnishes  a  curious 
instance  of  the  survival  of  an  old  Moabite  word,  and  of  the  manner  in  which  the  most 
apparently  trifling  incidents,  customs,  and  idioms  may  illustrate  the  Bible.  Kerek  was  the 
scene  of  the  last  act  of  the  fearful  tragedy  of  the  rebellion  of  Mesha,  whose  successes  at 
some  other  time  against  Israel  are  so  proudly  and  boastfully  recorded  on  the  Moabite 
stone.  Here,  after  having  made  one  last  despairing  but  futile  effort  to  burst  through  the 
beleaguering  lines,  the  Moabite  monarch  "  took  his  eldest  son  that  should  have  reigned  in  his 
stead  and  offered  him  for  a  burnt-offering  upon  the  wall."  In  later  Crusading  times  the 
castle  of  Kerek  was  held  by  the  turbulent  knight,  Raynald  of  Chatillon,  who,  by  breaking 
faith  with  Saladin  and  attacking  the  Muhammedan  pilgrim  caravan  in  time  of  peace, 
brought  about  the  fall  of  the   Christian   kingdom  in   Palestine. 

The  nearer  shore  is  not  visible  until  we  begin  to  descend  the  pass  by  a  precipitous  and 
winding  path,  which  in  about  half  an  hour  brings  us  to  'Ain  Jidy  (see  page  203).  The  modern 
name  of  this  spring,  "  the  fountain  of  the  kid,"  is  absolutely  identical  in  meaning  and  ortho- 
graphy with  the  Engedi  of  Scripture. 

The  full  stream  gushes  out  from  beneath  a  huge  boulder  upon  a  narrow  terrace  of  rock 
four  hundred  feet  above  the  level  of  the  lake,  and,  rushing  down  the  steep  declivity,  its  course 
hidden  by  rich  tropical  vegetation,  flows  out  upon  a  broad  patch  of  alluvial  soil  (see  page  203). 
Over  this  it  dashes  in  a  sparkling  cascade,  and  again  collects  itself  below  in  a  quiet  pool 
fringed  with  graceful  tamarisks  and  fragrant  oleanders.  The  roots  of  the  luxuriant  growth, 
however,  absorb  the  water,  and  the  brook  never  finds  its  way  down  to  the  sea.  The  water 
of  the  spring  is  warm  (830  Fahr.),  of  a  sweetish  taste,  and  impregnated  with  lime.  Around 
the  spring  is  a  cane-brake,  with  a  perfect  thicket  composed  of  different  kinds  of  zizyphus,  or 
thorny  lote-tree,  the  sidr  or  dom  of  the  Arabs,  who  are  very  fond  of  its  pleasant-tasting 
fruit.  There  is  also  a  great  profusion  of  nightshade,  or  the  "  egg "  or  "  mad  apple,"  as 
well  as  of  the  'osher,  a  plant  seldom  found  except  in  tropical  regions,  and  bearing  the  so-called 
"  apples  of  Sodom." 

The  seyal,  or  thorny  acacia,  the  "  shittim-tree  "  of  the  Bible,  also  grows  here  in  great 
abundance.  The  ancient  town  probably  lay  below  the  spring,  and  the  ruins  of  several  buildings, 
apparently  ancient,  are  found  in  the  neighbourhood.  To  reach  the  level  of  the  lake  we 
descend  for  about  three  hundred  and  thirty  feet  along  the  thicket  through  which  the  stream 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND. 


203 


flows  and  a  very  steep  and  rugged  path.  The  sides  of  the  brook  are  cultivated  so  far  as  the 
water  extends  by  the  Rashaidy  Arabs.  Farther  to  the  north  the  fountains  of  'Ain  Terabeh,  el 
Ghuweir  ("  the  little  lowland  "),  and  El  Fesh-kah,  the  last  a  large  and  copious  one,  flow  into  the 


ENGEDI,   THE    FOUNTAIN   OF  THE    KID   ('AIN   J1DY). 

The  sparkling  limpid  water  is  warm,  rather  sweet,  and  impregnated  with  lime.    To  the  left  there  is  an  example  of  the  remarkable  esclepiad 
called  in  Arabic  'osher ;   it  bears  a  bladder-like  fruit  filled  with  long  silky  hairs,  used  by  the  Arabs  as  tinder  for  their  matchlocks. 

lake,  but  their  waters  are  brackish,  and  the  spring  of  'Ain  Jidy  seems  to  be  the  main  source 
of  sweet  water  on  the  western  shore.  At  length  we  stand  upon  the  shores  of  the  Dead  Sea, 
the  frightful  desolation  of  which  accords  well  with  the  terrible  history  that  attaches  to  the  spot. 


204 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


We  are  undoubtedly  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  "  Cities  of  the  Plain,"  though  much 
difference  of  opinion  exists  as  to  the  spot  on  which  they  stood.  Ancient  tradition  fixes  it  at 
what  is  now  the  southern  end  of  the  lake,  and  this  accords  with  the  physical  geography  of 
the  region.  We  are  told  (Gen.  xiii.  10)  that  "all  the  plain  of  Jordan  was  well  watered  every- 
where, before  the  Lord  destroyed  Sodom  and  Gomorrah,  even  as  the  garden  of  the  Lord,  like 
the  land  of  Egypt,  as  thou  comest  unto  Zoar."  And  in  xiv.  3  we  learn  that  the  allied  kings 
"were  joined  together  in  the  vale  of  Siddim,  which  is  the  salt  sea,"  i.e.  evidently  which  had 
become  the  "  salt  sea  "  at  the  time  of  writing.     The  soundings  taken  by  Lynch  prove  that 


THE   SOUTHERN    END  OF  THE   DEAD    SEA  FROM  ENGEDI, 
Showing  the  Peninsula  called  El  Lisan  (the  tongue),  which  may  easily  be  mistaken  for  an  island. 


the  southern  end   of  the  lake   is  some  one  thousand   three   hundred   feet  deeper  than  the 
northern,  and  seems  to  point  to  some  great  convulsion  of  nature  on  the  spot. 

Many  writers  have  supposed  that  the  agencies  employed  in  the  destruction  of  Sodom  and 
its  sister  cities  were  the  natural  ones  of  volcanic  eruptions  accompanied  by  earthquake.  This 
hypothesis  is  quite  in  accordance  with  the  language  of  the  Bible  ;  the  mention  in  Genesis  of  the 
existence  of  "slime  {i.e.  asphalte)  pits"  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  of  Abraham's  seeing  that 
"  the  smoke  of  the  country  went  up  as  the  smoke  of  a  furnace,"  would  certainly  seem  to  indicate 
some  such  phenomena.  The  asphalte  pits  are  still  to  be  seen,  and  the  frequent  and  severe 
earthquakes  that  haVe  occurred  in  the  vicinity  also  point  to  the  presence  of  subterranean 
volcanic  action.     The  present  aspect  of  the  place  can  only  be  reconciled  with  the  Scripture 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND. 


205 


THE   CLIFFS   OF   ENGEDI. 


They  form  a  very  difficult  pass,  and  the  zigzag  paths  are  not  kept  in  repair.    The  surface  of  the  limestone  rock  is  of  marble-like  smoothness 

and  a  pale  reddish  tint  is  the  prevailing  colour. 


VOL.  III. 


E    E 


2o6  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

account  by  supposing  the  vale  of  Siddim  to  have  sunk  down  and  been  overwhelmed  by  the 
waters  of  the  lake. 

The  Dead  Sea,  which  is  about  forty-six  miles  long  and  nearly  one  thousand  three  hundred 
feet  below  the  level  of  the  Mediterranean,  is  shut  in  on  both  sides  by  precipitous  cliffs,  the  bases 
of  which  at  one  time  project  into  the  waters  of  the  lake,  at  others  recede  and  leave  a  narrow 
strip  of  beach.  At  the  southern  end  a  number  of  low,  sandy  promontories  jut  out  into  the  sea, 
amongst  which  the  largest  and  most  conspicuous  is  the  Lisan  already  referred  to  (see  page 
204).  Seen  from  'Ain  Jidy,  the  view  is  magnificent  for  its  rugged  and  desolate  grandeur : 
opposite  are  the  hills  of  Moab,  and  far  away  to  the  south  stretches  the  western  coast,  with 
its  numberless  white  promontories  jutting  out  into  the  lake,  and  towering  high  over  these  the 
rocky  precipices  rise  one  above  the  other  like  the  bastions  of  some  mighty  castle.  Towards 
the  south-western  end  of  the  lake,  and  washed  at  the  base  by  its  waves,  is  Jebel  Usdum,  or 
the  Mount  of  Sodom,  an  isolated  hill  composed  almost  entirely  of  crystalline  rock-salt.  It 
is  about  seven  miles  in  length  and  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height,  and  where  the  water 
has  washed  it  away  in  places  it  assumes  quaint  forms  resembling  pillars  and  minarets,  naturally 
suggesting  the  pillar  of  salt  into  which  Lot's  too-curious  wife  was  turned.  One,  the  most 
conspicuous  of  these  pillars,  is  indeed  pointed  out  as  such,  and  called  by  the  Arabs  "  Bint 
Sheikh  Lut,"  or  Lot's  wife.  Just  before  Jebel  Usdum  the  outline  of  the  once-powerful  fortress 
of  Masada  may  be  discerned  against  the  sky.  This  famous  stronghold  was  originally  built  by 
Jonathan  Maccabaeus,  and  was  enlarged  and  strengthened  by  Herod  the  Great ;  it  was  the  last 
refuge  of  Jewish  independence  after  the  destruction  of  Jerusalem  by  Titus. 

The  leafy  thicket  of  'Ain  Jidy,  at  the  foot  of  the  sheer  and  towering  cliffs  of  the 
barren  mountain,  presents  a  strange  contrast  to  the  desolation  which  surrounds  it.  The  mighty 
cliffs  that  overhang  it,  with  the  awful  chasms  and  sombre  gorges  which  divide  them,  also  lend 
an  indescribable  grandeur  to  the  scene  (see  page  205).  The  inhospitable  shores  of  the  lake 
were  at  one  time  inhabited,  first,  perhaps,  by  the  indigenous  inhabitants,  later  on  by  the 
Israelites,  and  after  them  came  a  succession  of  hermits — the  mystical  Jewish  sect  of  the 
Essenes  and  the  anchorites  of  the  first  few  centuries  of  the  Christian  era.  The  mountain- 
sides are  everywhere  honey-combed  with  the  caves  in  which  these  recluses  dwelt ;  many  of 
them  are  now  quite  inaccessible,  the  paths  and  terraces  in  the  cliffs  by  which  they  were  once 
approached  having  long  since  been  washed  or  worn  away. 

The  water  of  the  Dead  Sea  contains  about  25  per  cent,  of  solid  matter.  Its  pungency  and 
saltness  cause  intense  pain  to  the  eyes  if  it  is  allowed  to  enter  them,  and  it  is  abominably 
nauseous  to  the  taste  ;  but  it  is  so  buoyant  that  to  sink  in  it  is  out  of  the  question.  One  may 
float  on  back  or  breast,  sit  on  the  surface  as  on  a  feather  bed,  and — provided  one  does  not  fall 
over  head  downwards — perform  almost  any  antics  without  fear  of  submersion.  Swimming, 
however,  is  very  trying  to  the  small  of  the  back,  from  the  jerk  with  which  the  legs  fly  out  on 
the  least  attempt  to  strike  out  in  the  ordinary  way.  The  Dead  Sea  receives  the  whole  torrent 
of  the  Jordan,  as  well  as  the  rivulets  and  streams  from  the  ravines  in  the  cliffs  of  Palestine  and 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND.  207 

Moab,  on  its  western  and  eastern  shores.  The  volume  of  water  thus  discharged  into  it  has 
been  calculated  at  six  million  tons  daily,  for  which  there  is  no  apparent,  or,  indeed,  conceivable 
outlet,  the  immense  evaporation  which  takes  place  being  sufficient  to  maintain  the  level  of  the 
lake. 

The  wilderness  of  Engedi  is  as  grand  but  dreary  a  sight  as  can  well  be  imagined  :  a 
broad  rolling  expanse,  shut  in  on  every  hand  by  high  ridges  with  jagged  summits,  their  sides 
deeply  scored  by  torrent  beds,  and  intersected  here  and  there  by  broad  valleys  of  white  marl, 
with  not  a  tree,  and  scarcely  a  shrub,  to  be  seen  for  miles  around  (see  page  208).  From 
time  to  time  a  small  Arab  encampment  or  a  few  isolated  figures  come  in  sight,  and  with 
their  primaeval  costume,  and  their  wild  and  savage  air,  seem  like  some  weird  vision  of  David 
and  his  outlaw  band  conjured  up  by  a  highly  wrought  fancy,  rather  than  the  ordinary  inhabitants 
of  the  place. 

From  the  city  of  Abraham  we  proceed  to  another  spot  connected  with  the  history  of  the 
patriarch,  Beersheba — variously  interpreted,  "  the  Well  of  the  Seven  "  or  "  the  Well  of  the 
Oath  " — where  he  dug  the  well,  and  gave  seven  ewe  lambs  to  Abimelech  in  token  of  an  oath 
of  covenant  with  him  (see  page  209).  There  were  once  seven  wells  here,  two  of  which  are 
still  filled  with  water,  and  another,  in  a  fairly  perfect  condition,  is  dry ;  they  are  all  built  of 
solid  masonry.  In  the  immediate  vicinity  may  be  seen  traces  of  the  other  four  wells.  An 
Arab  tradition  says  that,  "  The  Beni  Murr  dwelt  by  seven  wells  (seta  biyilr) ;  each  well 
had  seven  tanks,  each  tank  had  seven  troughs,  and  each  trough  had  seven  horses  drinking 
thereat."  Round  the  two  wells  which  contain  water  are  rude  stone  troughs,  which  appear  to  be 
very  ancient.  The  southern  bank  of  the  valley  is  banked  up  with  a  strong  wall  of  solid 
masonry,  extending  for  a  few  hundred  yards  along  the  part  opposite  the  wells,  which  are  thus 
protected  from  the  earth  falling  in  and  filling  them  up.  The  hillside  behind  them  is  covered 
with  ruins,  though,  from  the  confused  state  into  which  they  have  fallen,  it  is  impossible  now  to 
make  out  with  any  certainty  the  original  ground-plan  of  the  town.  Higher  up  in  the  valley  are 
the  foundations  of  a  Greek  church.  The  country  around  Beersheba  consists  of  a  rolling  plain, 
intersected  by  the  wady  beds  of  Seba'  and  Khulil.  In  spring,  when  the  rains  have  fallen,  it  is 
often  covered  for  miles  around  with  grass,  flowers,  and  herbage  ;  at  other  times  it  is  nothing 
but  a  dry  parched  land,  bare  and  desolate  as  the  desert  itself.  Strange  and  solemn  are  the 
thoughts  which  such  a  place  inspires.  Here  were  the  very  wells,  in  all  human  probability, 
which  the  Father  of  the  Faithful  dug.  The  name  he  gave  it  still  clings  to  the  spot ;  the 
Bedawin,  to  whom  the  Scriptures  are  unknown,  still  point  with  pride  to  the  great  work 
which  their  father  Ibrahim  achieved,  and  as  they  draw  water  from  it  for  their  flocks  and  herds, 
the  ropes  that  let  the  buckets  down  still  glide  along  the  same  deep  furrows  in  the  masonry 
which,  mayhap,  the  ropes  of  the  patriarch's  servants  first  began.  It  was  to  the  wilderness  of 
Beersheba,  too,  that  Elijah  fled  for  his  life  from  Ahab  and  Jezebel  (1  Kings  xix.  3). 

We  now  take  a  final  farewell  of  Hebron  and  its  sacred  memories,  and,  providing  ourselves 
with  an  escort  of  the  Jehalin  or  the  Hawetat  Arabs,  set  out  upon  a  journey  through  the  wilder- 

e  e  2 


208 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


ness    towards  the   rock-cut   city   of   Petra,  in   the  land  of  Edom.     Our  road  leads  us  past 

Semu'a,  the  ancient  Eshtemoh,  mentioned  in  Joshua  xv.  50;  Tell  'Arid,  the  site  of  the  city  of 

"Kinor  'Arad  the  Canaanite,  which  dwelt 

in  the  south,"  who,  when  he  "  heard  tell 

that  Israel  came  by  the  way  of  the  spies, 

foueht  aeainst  Israel,  and  took  some  of 

them  prisoners"  (Numbers  xxi.  1);  Tell 

Milh,    "  the    salt    mound,"    where    once 

stood  the  ancient  Moladah,   mentioned 

by  Joshua  and  Nehemiah,  and  later  on 

by  Josephus — it  is  the  Malathah  of  the 

fourth  century,  and  is,  perhaps,  identical 

with  the  "  City  of  Salt "  mentioned  in 

Joshua  xv.   62 ;    and  next  by  'Ar  arah, 


Where  David  and  his  followers  lived  among  "the  rocks  of  the  wild  goats."  There  are 
many  caves  in  the  hillsides  which  might  well  serve  as  places  of  refuge  for  fugitives 
and  outlaws. 


the  Aroer  of  Judah  (1   Sam.  xxx.   28),  one  of  the  cities 

to  which  David  after  his  victories  over  the  Amalekites 

sent  a   share  of  the    spoil — the  only  traces  of  the  ancient  town  which 

now  remain  are  a  few  wells  built  up  with  rude  masonry,  some  of  them 

containing  water. 

The  character  of  the  scenery  now  begins  to  change,  rolling  hills 
and  rough  stony  valleys  succeeding  the  open  plains  through  which  we 
have  hitherto  been  passing,  and  it  becomes  every  moment  more  evident 
that  we  are  entering  upon  the  confines  of  the  "great  and  terrible 
wilderness."  Passing  through  this  wild  region,  we  at  length  reach  Jebel 
Madherah,  a  hill  of  which  the  Arabs  tell  the  following  legend  : — "  A  people  once  dwelt  here,  to 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND. 


209 


whom  there  came  one  day  some  travellers  seeking  hospitality ;  but  the  people  of  the  place  did 
unto  them  a  vile  and  horrible  deed,  wherefore  the  Almighty  in  his  anger  rained  down  stones 
upon  them  and  destroyed  them  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth."  The  base  and  summit  of  the 
mountain  are  covered  with  large  blocks  of  stone,  to  which  the  Bedawin  point  in  confirmation 
of  their  tale.      From  this  point  a  few  hours'  journey  takes  us  to  'A in  el  Weibeh,  with  its 


B1R   ES   SEBA',   THE   SITE   OF    BEERSHEBA. 
The  ancient  wells  can  still  be  traced,  and  two  of  them  are  serviceable ;  but  the  city  has  ceased  to  exist.    In  the  distance  may  be  seen  an  encamp- 
ment of  the  Tiyaheh  Arabs.     In  the  foreground  a  woman  is  asking  alms  of  the  artist's  travelling  attendants. 

three  springs,  which  Robinson  and  others  have  identified  with  Kadesh  Barnea  (see  page  210). 
With  this  I  am  unable  to  agree,  and  prefer  placing  Kadesh  at  'Ain  Kadis,  about  forty  miles 
farther  to  the  west.  The  name  Kadis  is  in  meaning  and  etymology  exactly  equivalent  to  the 
Kadesh  of  the  Bible,  and  the  identification  of  this  site  is  perhaps  more  important  than  any  other 
in  the  region,  as  it  forms  the  key  to  the  movements  of  the  Children  of  Israel  after  leaving 


2IO 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


Hazeroth  for  the  scene  of  their  forty  years'  wanderings.  The  spring  which  bears  this  suggestive 
name  is  situated  at  a  part  of  the  mountain  plateau  where  this  falls  to  a  lower  level,  and,  being 
more  open  and  less  hilly,  is  easily  approached  from  the  direction  of  Akabah.  It  is  thus  situated 
at  one  of  the  natural  boundary  lines  of  Palestine.     From  northern  Syria  to  Sinai  southwards  the 


'AIN    EL   WEIBEH,    ON  THE   BORDER  OF   EDOM, 
In  the  valley  of  El  Jeib.     The  name  signifies  "  hole  with  water."     Many  authorities  regard  this  now  deserted  place  as  the  site  of  Kadesh  Barnea. 

country  seems  to  have  certain  natural  divisions  marked  by  the  comparative  fertility  of  the  soil 
of  each.  In  Syria  at  the  present  day  we  have  a  well-watered  and  productive  soil ;  in  Palestine, 
south  of  the  Hermon  district  the  soil  is  much  more  barren,  but  shows  traces  of  greater  fertility 
in  former  times ;  south  of  the  mountains  of  Judah,  to  the  point  immediately  below  ' Ain  Gadis, 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND.  211 

the  country,  though  now  little  more  than  a  barren  waste,  shows  signs  of  extensive  former 
cultivation,  reaching  down  even  to  a  comparatively  recent  period.  This  tract  of  land  is  the 
Negeb,  or  south  country  of  Scripture ;  and  'Ain  Kadis  is  situated  on  the  frontier  of  the  district. 
Between  this  and'  the  edge  of  the  plateau  of  the  Tih  the  country  is  even  more  barren,  but 
there  are  still  traces  of  a  primaeval  race  of  inhabitants  who  found  a  living  on  its  soil.  At 
the  time  of  the  Exodus  it  must  have  borne  the  same  relation  to  the  then  fertile  district  of  the 
Negeb  which  that  now  barren  land  bears  to  Palestine  at  the  present  day.  Now  the  spies  went 
up  from  Kadesh,  and  returned  bringing  with  them  grapes  from  Eshcol,  which,  as  has  been 
stated  above,  many  geographers  identify  with  Wady  el  Khulil,  or  the  Wady  of  Hebron. 
But  the  city  of  Hebron  is  at  least  four  days'  journey  from  'Ain  Gadis,  and  grapes  and 
figs  could  not  have  been  brought  so  far  without  spoiling — to  say  nothing  of  the  cautious 
manner  in  which  Caleb  and  his  companions  must  have  passed  through  the  country.  If,  then, 
Kadesh  Barnea  is  at  'Ain  Kadis,  the  grape-bearing  Eshcol  must  be  near  the  same  place ;  and 
it  is  a  curious  fact  that  among  the  most  striking  characteristics  of  the  Negeb  are  miles  of 
country — hillsides  and  valleys — covered  with  small  stone  heaps,  swept  in  regular  swathes,  and 
called  by  the  Arabs  to  this  day  teleilat  el  'anab,  or  "grape  mounds."  From  a  strategical  point 
of  view  also,  'Ain  el  Weibeh  is  ill  adapted  for  the  site  of  Kadesh  Barnea,  as  the  Israelites 
would  there  have  been  confined  in  a  cul  de  sac,  with  the  Canaanites,  Amorites,  Edomites,  and 
Moabites  completely  hemming  them  in ;  whereas  in  the  neighbourhood  of  'Ain  Kadis  they 
would  have  nothing  but  the  wilderness  around  them,  and  certainly  no  very  hostile  peoples  in 
their  rear.  A  good  general  like  Moses  would  scarcely  have  chosen  a  bad  position  for  his  camp, 
and  the  probabilities  therefore  are  that  the  more  western  'Ain  Kadis  is  really  the  Kadesh 
Barnea  of  the  Bible. 

From  'Ain  el  Weibeh  we  descend  into  the  broad  valley  of  the  Arabah,  andj  mounting  the 
opposite  banks,  enter  Edom  by  the  Nemelah  Pass,  and  reach  Petra  by  way  of  the  magnificent 
ravine  called  the  Sik  (see  page  219).  Edom  is  that  narrow  strip  of  country  between  the 
Arabah  and  the  Derb  el  Hajj,  or  Pilgrim  Road  to  Mecca ;  it  extends  northwards  from 
Akabah,  the  ancient  Elath,  on  the  Red  Sea  to  Wady  Kerek,  which  formed  the  ancient 
boundary  between  it  and  Moab.  The  district  is  divided  into  two  parts,  the  northern  portion 
of  which  is  now  called  Jebal,  the  Gebal  of  the  Hebrew,  known  to  the  ancient  Romans  as 
Gebalene.  The  southern  portion  is  called  Esh  Sherah,  and  corresponds  to  the  Mount  Seir  of 
the  Bible.  The  capital  city  was  called  in  Hebrew,  Sela,  "  the  rock  "  (2  Kings  xiv.  7),  and 
still  bears  the  equivalent  Latin  appellation  of  Petra,  although  the  natives  speak  of  it  as  Wady 
Musa,  or  "  the  Valley  of  Moses." 

Edom  consists  of  a  range  of  porphyritic  rock  covered  by  a  mass  of  sandstone  coloured 
with  the  most  warm  and  vivid  tints.  On  either  side  rise  limestone  hills,  those  on  the  east 
forming  the  outpost  of  the  great  plateau  of  the  Arabian  Desert,  while  the  lower  range  on 
the  west  forms  the  eastern  bank  of  the  Arabah,  which  valley  skirts  the  south  country  and  the 
Badiet  et  Tih,  or  "  Desert  of  the  Wanderings."    The  district  is  very  fertile,  the  valleys  being 


2i: 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


watered  by  pleasant  streams  and  filled  with  trees  and  flowers,  and  the  uplands  furnishing 
rich  and  plentiful  pasture  interspersed  with  cornfields.     Before  the  difficulties  of  ocean  travel 

were  overcome  and  the  de- 
sert was  the  direct  and 
easiest  road  to  the  East, 
Edom  was  a  flourishincr 
country  and  its  capital  one 
of  the  world's  great  cen- 
tres of  commercial  activity. 
From  the  earliest  times  the 
Midianites  and  Ishmaelites 
conveyed  the  products  of 
Arabia  through  this  pro- 
vince to  Egypt  in  caravans 
(Gen.  xxxvii.  28),  and  bar- 
tered them  for  manufactures 
and  other  commodities  of 
the  realm  of  the  Pharaohs. 
From  the  second  century 
before  Christ  the  region 
was  inhabited  by  the  Na- 
bathseans,  of  whose  exten- 
sive civilisation  there  are 
still  abundant  traces  to  be 
seen  in  the  inscriptions  and 
architectural  remains  which 
cover  the  country.  In  105 
a.d.  Edom  became  a  Roman 
province,  and  Petra  became 
an  even  more  important 
city  than  before.  Christi- 
anity was  introduced  there 
at  a  very  early  period,  and 
Bishops  of  Petra  are  men- 
tioned as  having  attended 
some  of  the  Councils  of 
the  Church.  By  the  fourth 
century  the  commerce  had  been  diverted,  the  Arabs  encroached  upon  its  territory,  and 
anarchy,  neglect,  and   wanton   violence  soon   brought   about  the  fulfilment  of  the  prophecy 


ROCK-CUT  TOMB  OR  TEMPLE,   PETRA. 

Eighty-five  feet  in  height.  It  is  called  by  the  Arabs  El  Khiizneh  Far'on,  "  the  Treasure  of 
Pharaoh,"  which  is  said  to  be  concealed  in  the  urn-shaped  finial  at  the  summit.  The  portal 
leads  into  a  lofty  chamber  twelve  yards  square. 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND. 


213 


that  the  inheritance  of  Esau,  which  was  once  "  the  fatness  of  the  earth  and  the  dew  of  heaven 
from  above  "  (Gen.  xxvii.  39),  should  become  "  a  desolation  "  and  a  curse.  The  northern  part, 
El  Jebal,  is  inhabited  partly  by  fellahin,  or  peasants,  and  partly  by  the  Bedawin  tribe  of  the 

Hejaya.  Esh  Sherah  belongs  principally  to  the 
Hawetat  and  'Ammarin  Arabs  (the  latter  being 
probably  the  representatives  of  the  ancient 
Amorites),  and  the  powerful  but  lawless  tribe  of 

the  'Alawin,  who  have 
obtained  from 
the      Egyptian 


DETACHED    TOMBS,   PETRA. 

Isolated  masses  of  rock,  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  square.     In  one  of  them  there  is  a  small  sepulchral  chamber.    The  background  represents 

the  excavations  in  the  cliffs  opposite  to  the  Amphitheatre. 


Government  the  privilege   of  escorting  pilgrims   and  travellers.     Petra   and   its   immediate 
neighbourhood  is  in   the  hands  of  a  turbulent  but  interesting  tribe   called   the-  Liyatheneh. 
They  are  more   fellahin    than   Bedawin  in  character,  and  have  a  singularly  Jewish  type  of 
vol.  in.  f  F 


2I4  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

countenance.  Indeed,  they  are  in  all  probability  the  descendants  of  one  of  the  Jewish  tribes 
who  emigrated  from  Arabia  after  the  conquests  of  Islam.  Besides  their  Hebrew  physiognomy 
they  retain  many  distinctive  Jewish  customs  to  the  present  day.  After  the  fourth  century 
Petra  disappears  from  history,  and  it  remained  absolutely  unknown  until  an  Arab  of  Esh 
Sherah  described  its  ruins  to  Seetzen,  in  the  year  1807.  In  18 12,  Burckhardt,  under  great 
difficulties,  reached  the  place  and  fully  explored  it. 

Petra  lies  in  a  valley  running  from  north  to  south,  and  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  long. 
At  the  northern  end  it  is  five  hundred  feet  wide,  and  narrows  to  half  that  breadth  at  the  south. 
This  is  called  by  the  Arabs  Wady  Musa,  "  Moses'  Vale,"  from  a  tradition  that  the  spring  'Ain 
Musa,  from  which  the  stream  takes  its  rise,  was  the  same  which  gushed  forth  when  Moses 
struck  the  rock.  The  valley  is  enclosed  on  all  sides  by  precipitous  sandstone  rocks  of 
variegated  hues,  and  presents  the  appearance  of  having  been  originally  an  inland  lake.  The 
first  thing  which  strikes  the  spectator  in  Wady  Musa  is  the  magnificent  colour  of  the  rocks  ; 
the  stone  where  the  surface  is  old  and  weathered  is  of  a  deep  chocolate  hue,  but  where  it  has 
been  more  recently  cut  or  excavated  it  assumes  bright  red  or  yellow  tints,  relieved  here  and 
there  by  white,  the  general  effect  being  that  of  gorgeous  watered  silk. 

The  effect  on  entering  the  city  is  most  imposing ;  the  chief  monuments  being  hewn  in 
the  solid  rock,  and  the  most  elaborate  facades,  pediments,  pilasters  and  all,  strictly  monolithic. 
The  valley  was  no  doubt  occupied  in  the  earliest  times  by  the  cave-dwelling  tribes  who  are 
spoken  of  in  the  Bible  as  Horites,  and  their  dwellings  have  been  enlarged  and  ornamented  by 
the  later  inhabitants  and  used  for  houses,  temples,  and  tombs.  In  some  of  the  caves,  notably  at 
the  smaller  and  less-known  rock-cut  towns  which  still  exist  in  the  neighbourhood,  though 
unknown  to  travellers,  the  walls  and  ceilings  are  decorated  with  elaborate  and  graceful  patterns 
painted  in  distemper,  as  bright  and  fresh  as  though  they  had  been  but  lately  finished.  One 
ceiling  at  El  Barid,  which  was  discovered  by  the  late  Mr.  Drake  and  myself,  is  painted  with 
festoons  of  grape-vines  and  convolvuli,  with  Cupids  playing  among  the  branches.  The 
design  is  evidently  Roman,  and  is  extremely  well  executed.  A  smaller  ravine  branches  off 
to  the  left  by  the  village  of  'Aireh,  spanned  over  with  an  arch  which  carries  an  aqueduct. 
It  is  called  Kantaret  Bint  Far'on,  "  Pharaoh's  daughter's  arch,"  and  the  ascent  to  the  east  is 
also  named  Besatin  Far'on,  or  "  Pharaoh's  gardens,"  nearly  every  grand  or  mysterious  piece 
of  architectural  work  in  the  country  being  attributed  to  the  Egyptian  monarch.  At  the 
entrance  of  the  gorge  on  the  south-west  side  of  the  valley  are  some  tombs  entirely  detached 
from  the  rock,  which  has  been  hewn  smooth  behind  them  (see  page  213),  and  calling  to  mind 
the  ancient  sepulchres  in  the  Valley  of  Jehoshaphat  at  Jerusalem  (see  pages  82  and  83,  vol.  i.). 
The  buildings  of  the  city  have  nearly  all  disappeared,  the  largest  and  most  important  of 
the  ruins  being  that  known  as  Kasr  Far'on,  or  "  palace  of  Pharaoh,"  probably  a  temple, 
situated  near  the  entrance  of  the  valley  from  the  west.  A  little  to  the  east  of  this  is  a 
triumphal  arch,  farther  still  a  solitary  column  called  Zibb  Far'on,  on  the  south,  which 
apparently  once  formed  part  of  a  church,   the  apse   of  which  may  still  be  traced.     To  the 


THE  SOUTHERN  BORDERLAND.  215 

west  of  this  rises  a  lofty  hill,  upon  the  summit  of  which  stands  what  is  supposed  to  be  the 
acropolis  or  citadel  of  Petra. 

The  architecture  of  Petra  belongs  to  the  debased  Roman  style  which  was  in  vogue 
in  the  third  or  fourth  centuries  of  the  Christian  era,  when  the  severe  simplicity  of  the 
classical  period  had  given  way  to  florid  decoration  and  harmony  of  design  was  sacrificed 
to  striking  effect.  The  Sik  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  picturesque  ravines  in  the 
world  (see  page  219).  We  enter  by  a  narrow  passage  running  between  lofty  perpendicular 
cliffs  of  magnificent  red  sandstone,  and  spanned  by  a  broken  archway,  now  quite  out  of 
reach,  which  once  carried  an  aqueduct  from  the  heights  above.  A  clear  and  sparkling 
stream  ripples  along  the  bed  of  the  ravine,  fringed  with  oleanders  and  other  shrubs,  while 
creepers  hang  in  graceful  festoons  from  the  rugged  walls.  As  we  advance  the  gorge  grows 
narrower  and  grander.  In  the  walls  are  several  square  cuttings  which  once  held  tablets, 
and  some  small  ornamented  niches,  no  doubt  intended  for  dedicatory  altars,  of  the  same 
pattern  as  those  found  at  Banias  and  elsewhere  (see  page  1  it,  vol.  i.).  Beneath  these  are 
some  imperfect  Greek  inscriptions.  At  a  point  in  the  Sik  where  the  ravine  takes  a  sharp 
turn  we  come  upon  one  of  the  most  remarkable  monuments  in  Petra,  namely,  the  Khuzneh 
Far'on,  or  "  Pharaoh's  Treasury,"  excavated  in  the  solid  rock  and  surpassing  all  the  other 
tombs  and  temples  in  beauty  of  colour  and  execution  (see  page  212.)  The  facade  is  of 
a  deep  but  delicate  rose  colour,  which  shines  out  in  strong  relief  against  the  deep  reddish-brown 
of  the  uncut  rock  around  it  and  the  bright  green  of  the  oleanders  and  other  shrubs  that  grow 
beneath.  The  facade  of  the  temple  consists  of  a  portico  originally  of  six  columns,  but  one 
of  them  has  now  broken  away.  The  four  middle  pillars  support  a  pediment ;  on  the  apex  of 
this  is  an  ornament  which  has  been  variously  described,  but  which  a  more  careful  inspection 
proved  to  be  a  lyre.  Above  the  whole  is  a  very  curious  piece  of  ornamentation  :  a  second 
pediment,  the  width  of  the  whole  facade,  is  supported  by  two  pilasters  at  either  end  ;  the 
pediment  has  then  been  cut  through  on  each  side  of  the  centre,  and  the  block  so  left  has  been 
fashioned  into  a  cylindrical  ornament  surmounted  by  an  urn.  The  cylinder  and  the  recesses 
have  then  been  furnished  with  pilasters  and  dressed  to  correspond  with  the  front  portions. 
This  pediment,  which  is  thus  divided  into  three  portions,  presents  nine  faces  of  rock,  each 
having  a  pilaster  on  either  side,  and  on  these  are  sculptured  female  figures  with  graceful  flowing 
drapery.  The  curious  device  was  in  all  probability  adopted  to  admit  of  the  symmetrical 
arrangement  of  nine  figures — those,  I  take  it,  of  the  nine  Muses.  The  lyre,  the  emblem 
of  Apollo,  being  also  introduced,  lends  colour  to  the  supposition  that  it  was  dedicated 
to  those  divinities.  The  mysterious  excavation,  then,  is  nothing  but  the  Musceum  of  Petra — 
not  what  the  Turks  would  call  an  "  antiquity  house,"  but  the  "  philharmonic  institution  "  of 
the  place. 

(  The  next  most  important  monument  is,  perhaps,  the  amphitheatre,  which  is  entirely 
hewn  out  of  the  solid  rock  (see  page  216)  ;  it  is  thirty-nine  yards  in  diameter,  and  contains 
thirty-three   tiers   of  seats  rising  one   above   another,   and   capable  of  accommodating   from 

f  f  2 


2l6 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


three  to  four  thousand  spectators.  The  view  from  the  highest  tier  is  magnificent,  and 
embraces  almost  all  the  excavated  parts  of  the  valley  (see  page  213).  In  the  wall  of  rock 
behind  the  theatre  are  some  boxes,  or  loculi,  which,  perhaps,  existed  as  caves  in  the 
face  of  the  rock  before  the  amphitheatre  was  excavated.  Immediately  opposite  to  the 
theatre  are  some  tombs  with  beautifully  executed  fronts,  the  first  of  which  contains  a 
curious  arrangement  of  graves,  or  loculi.  These  are  cut  in  the  floor  of  the  cave,  and  are 
so  placed  as  to  make  the  most  of  the  room,  no  regard  being  paid  to  the  direction  in  which 
they  lie.      On  the   wall  to  the  left  are   some  rudely  cut  representations  of  the  sepulchral 


THE   ROCK-HEWN   AMPHITHEATRE,    PETRA. 
Thirty-three  tiers  of  seats  rise  one  above  another,  and  above  the  seats  there  are  chambers  hewn  in  the  rock.    The  brook  of  'Ain  Milsa,  bordered 

with  verdure,  flows  across  the  arena. 


monuments  in  favour  with  the  Nabathaeans,  something  between  an  obelisk  and  a  pyramid,  and 
beneath  these  are  two  inscriptions  in  the  Nabathaean  character.  A  little  farther  on  is  a  finely 
carved  temple,  which  originally  contained  six  caves  or  recesses ;  these  have  since  been  made 
into  three,  and  fashioned  into  apses  at  the  end,  so  as  to  form  a  Greek  church  of  the  usual 
pattern.  A  Greek  inscription  in  red  paint  records  the  fact  of  its  consecration,  but  the  date 
is  unfortunately  illegible.  Each  tomb  or  cave  has  its  owner,  who  dwells  there  with  his  family 
in  the  cold  or  wet  weather. 


BERTRMJD.    SCULP' 


ENTRANCE   TO  THE  YALLEY  OF  PEI1A, 


MOUNT   HOR. 
Th3  scene  of  the  death  of  Aaron,  called  by  the  Arabs  Jebel  Harun,  "  the  Mount  of  Aaron."     Its  highest  point  is  about  four  thousand  three 

hundred  and  sixty  feet  above  the  sea-level. 


MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS  OF  EDOM, 


"^HE  steel  plate  facing  this  page  will  convey  some  idea  of  the  grandeur  of  the  famous 


1 


defile,  which  was  the  chief  and  probably  the  only  usual  approach  in  ancient  times  to  the 


deep  valley  hidden  in  the  heart  of  the  mountains  of  Edom  where  the  city  of  Petra  once  stood, 
but  which  now  contains  only  its  site,  strewn  with  ruins  and  surrounded  by  rock-cut  tombs  and 
temples.  This  wonderful  ravine  (Es  Sik,  the  cleft)  approaches  the  valley  of  Petra  from  the 
east ;  it  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  in  length,  and  winds  continuously,  taking  unexpected  turns, 
as  if  it  were  the  most  flexible. of  meandering  rivers  instead  of  being  a  chasm  in  a  mighty 
mountain  wall.  About  fifty  feet  from  the  eastern  entrance  to  the  defile  a  picturesque  arch 
(shown  on  the  steel  plate,  and  alluded  to  on  page  215)  is  thrown  across  from  one  precipice  to 
the  other,  at  a  great  height.  Immediately  beneath  the  spring  of  the  arch,  on  each  side, 
niches  enriched  with  pilasters,  evidently  intended  for  statues,  are  sculptured  in  the  face  of  the 
rock.  At  this  point  the  cliffs  are  from  eighty  to  a  hundred  feet  in  height,  and  the  chasm  is 
not  more  than  twelve  feet  wide.  This  is  one  of  the  narrowest  parts  of  the  chasm,  but  it  does 
not  become  much  wider  for  a  considerable  distance.     The  bottom  of  the  ravine,  watered  by 


218 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


ROCK-CUT  TOMBS,    PETRA. 
Used  as  dwelling-houses  by  local  tribes  in  cold  or  wet  weather. 


the  brook  from  'Ain  Musa  in  the 
winter,  descends  rapidly  on  its  winding 
way  towards  the  west,  and  the  sides 
become  proportionately  higher,  vary- 
ing from  one  hundred  to  two  hundred 
and  fifty  feet  or  more  in  height.  The 
near  approach  of  the  precipices  to  each 
other  cause  them  to  appear  to  be 
much  higher  than  they  are  in  reality. 
Irby  and  Mangles  estimated  them  at 
from  four  hundred  to  seven  hundred 
feet  in  height,  and  Mr.  Stevens  re- 
garded them  as  from  five  hundred  to 
one  thousand  feet  high.  They  are 
everywhere  perpendicular,  and  the 
effect  of  the  narrow  strip  of  blue  sky 
seen  from  the  gloomy  depths  below  is 
very  striking.  In  some  places,  how- 
ever, the  cliffs  overhang  to  such  a 
degree  that,  without  actually  meeting, 
they  almost  shut  out  the  view  of  the 
sky  for  a  hundred  yards  together. 
Suddenly  a  flood  of  light  streams 
across  the  ravine  from  a  deep  gash  in 
the  cliffs  on  the  north  side  and  on  the 
south  side  simultaneously,  and  beyond 
it  the  beautiful  rose-coloured  temple 
known  as  Khuzneh  Far'on  (described 
on  page  215)  appears,  carved  in  a 
cliff  of  the  southern  chasm,  facing  the 
east  (see  page  212).  From  this  point 
the  defile,  pierced  on  each  side  with 
tombs  and  caves  innumerable,  turns 
towards  the  north-west  until  it  opens 
into  a  little  glade  overgrown  with 
oleanders  and  tamarisk  bushes  (see 
page  219),  a  favourite  haunt  of  the 
present  inhabitants  of  Petra,  and  close 
to  some  tombs,  which  serve  as  con- 


MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS  OF  EDOM. 


219 


CLLFFS   OF  THE    SlK,    PETRA. 
Showing  the  western  outlet  of  the  great  defile  opposite  to  the  rock -cut  amphitheatre  represented  on  page  216. 


220  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

venient  dwelling-places  (see  page  218).  The  rock-hewn  amphitheatre  is  just  below,  towards 
the  north  (see  page  216).  Beyond  it  the  cliffs,  still  honeycombed  with  caves  and  tombs, 
once  more  approach  each  other,  till  a  little  farther  to  the  north  they  at  last  open  into 
the  valley  of  Petra.  The  bed  of  the  winter  torrent  pursues  its  way,  and  as  it  crosses 
the  valley  winds  among  the  ruins  of  the  city  of  Petra,  and  then  enters  a  defile  in  the  western 
hills. 

From  the  west-north-west  corner  of  the  area  a  steep  ravine  ascends  into  the  heart  of  the 
mountains  and  leads  to  one  of  the  most  important  monuments  of  Petra,  Ed  Deir  (the  Convent), 
hewn  in  the  face  of  a  perpendicular  rock,  which  forms  one  of  a  group  projecting  from  the  lofty 
tableland  of  Edom.  The  long  ascent  by  which  this  now  isolated  temple  is  approached  is  for 
the  most  part  along  the  edge  of  a  precipice,  which  is  carefully  hewn,  where  the  rocks  admit  of 
it,  into  a  continuous  staircase,  the  steps  of  which  are  in  more  than  one  instance  marked  by 
inscriptions  in  the  so-called  Sinaitic  character.  After  many  windings  among  tangled  thickets 
and  round  great  blocks  of  sandstone,  a  platform  two  hundred  and  sixty  feet  square,  partly 
formed  by  excavation  of  the  rock  and  partly  by  masonry,  is  reached ;  on  the  northern  side  of 
it  stands  the  Deir,  withdrawn  between  two  gigantic  walls  of  cliff  (see  page  221).  It  is  of 
greater  magnitude  than  the  Khtizneh  (see  page  212),  being  upwards  of  a  hundred  feet  in 
height.  The  capitals  of  the  columns  and  the  cornices  have,  apparently,  never  been  completely 
finished.  In  the  interior,  facing  the  entrance,  is  a  recess  a  little  above  the  floor,  with  a  dais  in 
front  of  it,  and  a  few  steps  leading  up  to  it  on  each  side.  A  rude  staircase  leads  to  the  roof 
of  the  Deir,  and  on  the  rocky  platform  with  which  the  roof  communicates  is  a  circle  of  hewn 
stones,  and  again,  still  beyond,  is  a  solitary  cell,  hewn  in  an  isolated  cliff  and  joined  to  this 
platform  by  a  narrow  isthmus  of  rock.  It  is  said  that  the  Deir  stands  more  than  a  thousand 
feet  above  the  level  of  the  valley  basin  of  Petra,  and  the  few  travellers  who  have  visited  it 
speak  highly  in  praise  of  the  picturesque  view  which  its  terraced  roof  commands.  From  it 
can  be  traced  the  entire  length  of  the  steep  defile,  by  which  alone  it  can  be  approached,  winding 
among  perpendicular  rocks  ;  while  nearly  the  whole  extent  of  the  site  of  the  once  splendid 
city  of  Petra  can  be  distinguished  below.  Towards  the  south-west,  the  summit  of  Mount 
Hor  (see  page  217),  called  by  the  Arabs  Jebel  Harun  (the  Mountain  of  Aaron),  appears 
beyond  the  intervening  cliffs.  The  domed  wely  over  the  traditional  grave  of  Neby  Harun 
(the  prophet  Aaron)  can  be  discerned  on  the  highest  point  of  the  sacred  mount. 

On  the  levelled  surface  of  a  rock  immediately  opposite  to  and  facing  the  Deir  there  are 
the  remains  of  what  must  once  have  been  a  stately  temple.  The  bases  of  the  columns 
of  the  portico  and  colonnades  on  each  side  are  still  in  situ,  and  in  a  vault  beneath  David 
Roberts,  the  artist,  saw  a  capital  of  one  of  the  columns,  which  he  describes  as  being  "  of  white 
marble  and  in  the  best  taste." 

The  incidental  references  made  by  Josephus  (Ant.  IV.,  iv.  5,  6,  7)  to  Idumea  and  Petra, 
in  connection  with  his  account  of  the  death  and  burial  of  Miriam  and  her  brother  Aaron,  are 
very  striking,  and  in  conjunction  with  the  Bible  narrative  lend  special  interest  to  these  now 


MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS  OF  EDOM. 


221 


desolate  lands,  and  help  us  to  repeople  them  in  fancy  with  their  ancient  inhabitants  and   the 
wandering  hosts  led  by  the  Lawgiver. 

"When  Moses  together  with  his  whole  army  came  to  the  borders  of  Idumea,  he  sent 


THE    DEIR,    PETRA. 
An  isolated  building  on  a  lofty  eminence  north-west  of  the  valley  of  Petra.     It  faces  Mount  Hor. 


ambassadors  to  the  king  of  the  Idumeans,  and  desired  him  to  give  him  a  passage  through  his 
country,  and  agreed  to  send  him  what  hostages  he  should  desire,  to  secure  him  from  injury. 
He  desired  him  also  that  he  would  allow  his  army  to  buy  provisions,  and  if  he  insisted  on  it 

VOL.  III.  G    G 


222  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

he  would  pay  down  a  price  for  the  very  water  that  they  should  drink.  But  the  king  was  not 
pleased  with  this  embassage  from  Moses;  nor  did  he  allow  a  passage  for  the  army ;  but  brought 
his  people  armed  to  meet  Moses,  and  to  hinder  them,  in  case  they  should  endeavour  to  force 
their  passage.  Upon  which  Moses  consulted  God  by  the  oracle,  who  would  not  have  him  begin 
the  war  first ;  and  so  he  withdrew  his  forces,  and  travelled  round  about  through  the  wilderness 
(see  Numbers  xx.  17 — 21).  Then  it  was  that  Miriam,  the  sister  of  Moses,  eame  to  her  end. 
They  made  a  public  funeral  for  her  at  a  great  expense.  She  was  buried  on  a  certain  mountain 
which  they  call  Sin,  and  when  they  had  mourned  for  her  thirty  days  Moses  purified  the  people. 
.  .  .  .  Now  when  this  purification  was  over,  he  caused  the  army  to  remove  and  to  march 
through  the  wilderness  and  through  Arabia,  and  when  he  came  to  a  place  called  Arke,  but  has 
noiv  the  name  of  Petra,  at  this  place,  which  was  encompassed  by  high  mountains,  Aaron  went 
up  one  of  them  (see  page  217),  in  the  sight  of  the  whole  army;  Moses  having  before  told  him 
that  he  was  to  die,  for  this  place  was  over  against  them.  He  put  off  his  pontifical  garments 
and  delivered  them  to  Eleazar  his  son,  and  died  while  the  whole  multitude  looked  upon  him. 
He  died  in  the  same  year  wherein  he  had  lost  his  sister,  on  the  first  day  of  the  month  of 
Abba  "  (see  Numbers  xxxiii.  38). 

In  the  time  of  St.  Jerome  a  shrine,  said  to  be  the  tomb  of  Miriam,  was  shown  near  Petra 
(the  Kadesh  Barnea  of  early  Christian  tradition),  but  the  site  of  this  traditional  tomb  has 
not  been  identified.  It  is  distinctly  stated  in  Numbers  xx.  1  that  Miriam  died  at  Kadesh  and 
was  buried  there.  Josephus  states  that  her  death  took  place  on  the  first  day  of  the  lunar 
month  of  Xanthicus,  and,  as  Dean  Stanley  says,  "  this  seems  to  imply  that  the  anniversary  was 
still  observed  in  his  time,"  and  pilgrimages  were  probably  made  to  the  real  or  supposed  tomb. 
Dean  Stanley  suggests  that  the  place  of  sepulture  of  Miriam  was  the  mountain  height  crowned 
by  the  above-described  monument  Ed  Deir  (see  page  221),  and  it  is  certainly  quite  possible 
that  the  tomb  known  to  Jerome  as  the  grave  of  Miriam  may  have  been  on  this  spot.  Its 
remarkable  position,  and  the  laboriously  constructed  rock-cut  stairway  leading  to  it,  tend  to 
prove  that  it  was  a  pre-eminently  "  sacred  place,"  and  the  inscriptions  above  alluded  to  indicate 
that  it  was  a  place  of  pilgrimage  in  early  Christian  times. 

To  the  little  white-domed  wely,  which  is  said  to  mark  the  burial-place  of  Aaron,  on  the 
summit  of  Jebel  Neby  Harun  (the  Mount  of  the  Prophet  Aaron),  pilgrimages  are  made  to  this 
day  by  Jewish  and  more  especially  Muhammedan  devotees.  That  this  venerated  mountain 
is  identical  with  the  "  Mount  Hor  by  the  border  of  the  land  of  Edom,"  described  as  the  scene 
of  Aaron's  death,  is  now  the  general  opinion.  In  Hebrew  it  is  called  ^r\r\  *ih,  literally 
"  Hor,  the  mountain."  If,  as  Gesenius  explains,  "  Hor  "  is  only  an  archaic  form  of  "  Har,"  the 
usual  Hebrew  term  for  "  mountain,"  then  it  means  simply  "  the  mountain  of  mountains."  It 
well  deserves  the  epithet,  for  it  rises  high  above  the  surrounding  mountains  and  cliffs  of  Edom, 
and  may  easily  be  distinguished,  even  from  a  distance,  by  its  twin  peaks  (see  page  2 1 7).  The 
shrine  of  Aaron  stands  on  the  higher  peak,  which  is  in  the  form  of  a  truncated  cone,  and  is 
separated  from  the  less  elevated  peak  by  a  little  plain  in  which  grows  a  solitary  cypress-tree. 


MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS  OF  EDOM.  223 

The  highest  point  of  the  mountain  is  said  to  be  four  thousand  feet  above  the  level  of  the 
sea. 

Owing  to  the  frequent  contentions  which  take  place  among  the  local  tribes  of  Arabs,  and 
their  somewhat  capricious  dealings  with  strangers,  travelling  in  the  land  of  Edom  is  rather 
difficult,  and  the  ascent  of  Mount  Hor  is  occasionally  rendered  impossible. 

The  late  Mr.  James  Finn,  during  his  residence  in  Palestine  as  H.B.M.  Consul,  did 
much  to  facilitate  expeditions  to  Petra  and  Mount  Hor,  by  personally  visiting  these  places  and 
making  arrangements  with  the  sheikhs  of  local  tribes  for  the  safe  conduct  and  escort  of  English 
travellers  for  a  fixed  sum  per  head.  He  thus  describes  his  approach  to  and  ascent  of  Mount 
Hor:— 

"  April  4th.  At  length  we  were  upon  the  great  plain  of  the  Wady  '  Arabah,  or  '  Wilderness 
of  Zin  ;'  and  our  path  was  to  be  diagonally  across  this,  pointed  direct  to  Mount  Hor. 

"  April  5th Distances  are  hard  to  judge  of  in  such  extensive  plains  and  in  so 

clear  an  atmosphere.  We  had  been  travelling  nearly  two  days  with  Mount  Hor  in  sight, 
straight  before  us  ;  yet  the  mountain  only  grew  in  size  as  we  approached  it,  not  in  distinctness. 
As  we  came  near  to  the  eastern  mountains,  we  found  innumerable  and  huge  blocks  of  porphyry 

rock  scattered  over  the  ground We  turned  off  from  the  Wady  'Arabah  by  the 

Wady  Tayibeh,  which  runs  south-east  into  the  heart  of  the  mountain.  We  ascended  a  series 
of  precipices,  and  at  a  quarter  before  four  caught  the  first  glimpse  of  Aaron's  tomb,  and  at 
five  pitched  our  tents  on  the  rugged  side  of  Hor,  among  crags  and  scented  plants,  enlivened 
by  numerous  cuckoos  and  the  sweet  warbling  of  one  little  bird.  During  the  last  hour  we  had 
seen  some  blue  pigeons,  one  partridge,  and,  separately,  two  large  eagles,  to  which  our  attention 
had  been  drawn  by  their  shadows  moving  on  the  ground  before  us ;  then  on  looking  upwards, 
the  royal  birds  were  seen  sailing  along,  silently  and  slowly,  against  the  blue  vault  of  ether. 

"  April  6th.  In  the  morning  we  advanced  upwards  towards  Aaron's  tomb,  sometimes 
clambering  on  our  hands  and  knees.  We  had  to  rest  occasionally  in  the  shade  of  large  trees 
of  'arar  (juniper).  The  refm  (a  large  kind  of  broom)  was  very  abundant  and  covered  with 
white  blossom,  shedding  the  richest  perfume."  [This  is  the  rothem,  nrn  of  1  Kings  xix.  4,  5, 
mentioned  as  having  sheltered  Elijah.     It  is  the  largest  shrub  of  Sinai,  Genista  monosperma.~] 

"  The  mountain  is  all  of  dark  red  colour ;  and  the  higher  we  ascended,  the  more  difficult 
we  found  the  progress  to  be.  At  length  all  further  advance  seemed  impossible,  till,  on  looking 
round,  we  observed  an  excavation  for  a  well,  with  masonry  around  it ;  and  beyond  this  were 
steps  cut  into  the  rock,  which  rock  was  sloped  at  an  angle  of  between  fifty  and  sixty  degrees. 
This  encouraged  us  to  persevere.  Still  higher  I  picked  up  some  tesserae  of  mosaic  and 
morsels  of  marble  and  alabaster.  At  length  we  attained  the  highest  peak,  where  there  was 
scarcely  more  space  than  sufficient  to  contain  the  small  wely."  [An  oblong  stone  structure 
surmounted  by  a  dome  plastered  and  whitewashed.]  "  On  entering  we  found  near  the  door 
a  common-looking  tomb,  over  which  was  spread  a  pall  of  silk,  striped  in  red,  green,  and  white, 
but  much  faded.     Against  a  pillar  which  supports  the  roof  were  hung  rows  of  coloured  rags 

G  G  2 


224 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


and  threads  of  yarn,  with  snail-shells  and  sea-shells  among  them  by  way  of  further  ornament. 
A  wooden  bowl  at  one  end  of  the  tomb  was  probably  intended  to  receive  alms  for  the  support 
of  the  devotee  who  claims  the  place,  and  who  practises  the  curing  of  diseases  by  charms  among 
the  wild  Arabs.  The  floor  of  the  chamber  has  been  handsomely  paved  with  tesselated  bits 
of  coloured  marble,  much  of  which  still  remains.  Over  the  tomb  are  suspended  some  ostrich 
eggs  on  a  line,  as  is  common  in  Oriental  churches,  and  near  it  is  a  mihrab,  or  niche  in  the  wall, 
to  indicate  the  southerly  direction  for  Muhammedan  prayers. 

"  In  a  corner  of  the  floor  a  flight  of  steps  leads  down  to  a  crypt ;  and  providing  ourselves 

with  a  light  we  descended  thither.  But  we 
only  found  an  iron  grating  swinging  loose  to 
the  touch,  and  within  it  a  plain  wall,  from  which 
part  of  the  plaster  having  fallen  away  allowed 
to  be  seen  the  corner  of  a  kind  of  stone 
sarcophagus.  The  portion  visible  was  not, 
however,  sufficient  to  enable  us  to  judge  of  its 
probable  era.      The  ceiling   of   the    crypt    is 


JEZIRAT   FAR'ON,   THE    ISLE   OF   PHARAOH. 

At  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah,  as  seen  from  the  western  shore.  The 
castle  which  crowns  it  was  built  by  the  Crusaders  ;  the  mosque  and 
other  Saracenic  structures  are  attributed  to  Saladin. 

blackened  by  the  smoke  of  lamps.  I  then 
mounted  by  the  outside  of  the  building  to  the 
top  of  the  dome.  I  utterly  despair  of  being 
able  to  describe  the  prospect  around ;  and  can 
only  say  that  extensive  mountain  peaks  lay  in 
lines  below,  and  might  be  compared  to  those  made  upon  embossed  maps,  but  that  the  whole 
scene  was  vast,  savage,  and  abandoned  to  sombre  desolation,  both  the  hills  and  the  desert, 
in  every  direction.  I  could  see  nothing  of  Petra,  so  deeply  sunk  is  that  valley  between  the 
hills."  [From  this  point,  however,  the  Deir  (see  page  221)  is  visible  on  the  hill  to  the  east- 
north-east,  and  in  clear  weather  the  Red  Sea  and  the  Dead  Sea  can  be  plainly  distinguished.] 

"  Descending  the  mountain  by  the  opposite  side  of  that  of  our  arrival,  namely,  on  the  side 
next  Petra,  we  discovered  that  more  pains  in  road-making  had  been  bestowed  there,  and  that 
the  ascent  in  that  direction  would  be  comparatively  easy.  Cuckoos  and  partridges  were  heard 
plentifully,  and  on  looking  back  I  saw  a  very  large  raven  hovering  over  the  wely." 


MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS  OF  EDOM. 


225 


It  is  customary  for  Muhammedan 
pilgrims,  before  ascending  to  the 
tomb,  to  sacrifice  a  kid,  goat,  or  sheep 
on  a  high  platform  or  rock  ledge  called 
Aaron's  Terrace,  ^J*  -£>*>  (Settuh 
Harun),  at  the  base  of  the  mountain, 
but  within  sight  of  the  wely.  Burck- 
hardt,  the  pioneer  of  explorers  of  this 
region,  travelled  in  the  guise  of  a  poor 


LETTER   OF  ADMISSION   TO   THE   CONVENT   OF   ST.    CATHERINE. 
Formerly  travellers  were  drawn  up  into  the  convent  through  the  pent-house  shown 
above  ;  now,  however,  if  the  letter  thus  received  is  found  satisfactory  they  are 
admitted  by  a  side  door. 


Muhammedan  pilgrim,'  and  hired  a 
guide  east  of  Petra  to  lead  him  through 
the  city  to  Aaron's  shrine  that  he  might 
sacrifice  there,  and  thus  it  was  that  he 
contrived  to  see  the  wonders  of  the 
valley.  The  guide  led  him  to  Aaron's 
terrace.  Burckhardt  killed  the  goat  at 
a  spot  where  he  observed  a  number 
of  heaps  of  stones.  While  he  was  in 
the  act  of  slaying  the  animal  his  guide 
called  out,  "  O  Harun,  look  upon  us ! 
it  is  for  you  we  slaughter  this  victim  ! 
O  Harun,  protect  and  forgive  us !  O 
Harun,  be  content  with  our  good  in- 
tentions, for  it  is  but  a  lean  goat ! 
O  Harun,  smooth  our  path,  and  praise 
be  to  the  Lord  of  all  creatures  !  "    This 


226  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

he  repeated  several  times,  after  which  he  covered  the  blood  that  had  fallen  on  the  ground  with 
a  heap  of  stones.  They  then  dressed  the  best  part  of  the  flesh  for  supper  as  expeditiously 
as  possible,  for  the  sun  had  set,  and  the  guide  was  afraid  of  the  fire  being  seen  and  attracting 
robbers  to  the  spot. 

A  camel  path  runs  in  a  south-westerly  direction  from  the  southern  base  of  Mount  Hor, 
and  leads  down  through  green  winding  wadys  and  rocky  passes  into  the  Wady  el  'Arabah. 
From  this  point  the  route  southward  to  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah  (see  page  224)  occupies  three  days. 

The  Arabic  word  iojs-  "  'Arabah,"  signifies  rapid  river  (and  probably  at  an 
immeasurably  remote  period  a  "  rapid  river "  flowed  along  this  valley  from  the  Lebanon  to 
the  Red  Sea),  but  the  precisely  corresponding  word  in  Hebrew  n??s  signifies  desert,  and  this 
is  a  perfectly  appropriate  definition  for  the  great  wady  bound  on  the  east  by  the  rugged  slopes 
and  cliffs  of  Edom  and  on  the  west  by  the  horizontal  limestone  ranges  of  the  Tih.  It  is 
truly  "a  land  not  sown"  (Jer.  ii.  2).  Its  bed  is  mainly  composed  (as  Mr.  Finn  describes)  of 
"  sand  and  pebbles,  in  different  proportions  in  different  places,  sometimes  the  sand  pre- 
dominating and  sometimes  the  pebbles,  with  occasionally  an  abundance  of  very  small  fragments 
of  flint  serving  to  give  a  firmer  consistency  to  the  sand.  Round  boulders  are  also  met  with 
on  approaching  the  hillsides.  In  some  places  large  drifts  of  soft  yellow  sand  are  wrinkled  by 
the  wind,  as  the  smooth  beach  is  by  the  ripples  of  a  receding  tide." 

But  even  here  sweet-scented  shrubs  and  a  few  stunted  thorn-trees,  especially  the  mimosa 
{tiilil),  contrive  to  grow.  The  nebk-trze,  too,  is  common,  and  the  Arabs  can  subsist  for  many 
days  on  its  small  insipid  fruit,  called  dom.  The  colocynth  creeps  along  the  sand  here  and 
there,  and  one  plant  will  yield  as  many  as  thirty  or  more  "bitter  apples;"  when  ripe  the  leaves 
and  plant  die  away,  leaving  the  golden-coloured  fruit  (the  size  of  an  orange)  on  the  sand. 
The  Arabs  make  no  use  of  it.  Tufts  of  fine  grass  and  a  few  wild  flowers  spring  up  in  this 
desert  year  after  year.  Mr.  Finn  mentions  "  a  starry  flower,  called  dibbaih,  not  unlike  a  wild 
pink,  which  is  eaten  by  the  Arabs,  both  petals,  calyx,  and  stalk." 

My  brother,  Mr.  E.  T.  Rogers,  of  Cairo,  in  a  letter  describing  a  journey  in  the  'Arabah, 
says  :  "  When  travelling  quickly  and  noiselessly  we  came  now  and  then  upon  flocks  of  gazelles 
browsing  on  the  short  tufts  of  herbage,  and  occasionally  a  hare  was  seen.  Jerboas  started 
from  under  our  camels'  feet  and  ran  about  on  four  lees  for  a  few  seconds,  and  then  commenced 
a  series  of  leaps  on  their  hind  legs,  till  they  could  regain  their  holes  or  till  otherwise  out  of 
sight  and  danger.  It  was  interesting,  too,  to  watch  for  footprints  in  the  sand  ;  we  recognised 
the  marks  of  the  long-pointed  cloven  foot  of  the  ibex  and  the  large  paws  of  the  hyaena ;  in 
one  place  we  noticed  the  double  footprints  of  the  wolf  and  the  gazelle,  with  the  sand  thrown 
up  at  every  step,  as  if  there  had  been  a  chase." 

The  bed  of  the  'Arabah  gradually  rises  towards  the  south  till  it  forms  a  ridge  known 
locally  as  the  Shrag  er  Risheh  (saddle-bag  of  feathers),  said  to  be  the  water  parting  between 
the  Dead  Sea  and  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah.  The  valley  is  here  about  five  miles  in  width,  but 
narrows  to  four  miles  where  it  meets  the  gulf.     It  slopes  towards  the  west,  so  that  when  the 


MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS  OF  EDOM.  227 

winter  torrents  rush  down  from  the  chasms  and  wadys  of  Edom  and  from  channels  in  the 
western  hills,  they  form  a  little  watercourse  along  the  western  side  of  the  valley  and  enter  the 
Gulf  of  'Akabah  at  its  north-west  corner.  The  mountains  on  the  east  are  two  thousand  to  two 
thousand  five  hundred  feet,  and  those  on  the  west  fifteen  to  eighteen  hundred  feet  in  height. 

It  is  recorded  that  "  King  Solomon  made  a  navy  of  ships  in  Ezion  Geber,  on  the  shore 
of  the  Red  Sea,  in  the  land  of  Edom  "  (1  Kings  ix.  26).  Of  this  ancient  seaport  there  is  now 
no  vestige  left ;  but  its  site  has  been  identified  with  the  position  of  a  spring  of  brackish  water 
called  'Ain  el  Ghiidian,  and  opposite  to  a  wady  of  the  same  name  which  runs  from  the  western 
hills  into  the  great  valley  of  the  'Arabah,  at  a  point  which  is  now  nearly  ten  miles  from  the 
sea-shore,  but  which  must  have  been  the  northern  point  of  the  Red  Sea,  "  in  the  land  of  Edom," 
in  the  time  of  King  Solomon.  (A  somewhat,  similar  change  in  the  position  of  the  sea  margin 
is  said  to  have  been  observed  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  Suez.)  The  identification  of 
the  site  of  Ezion  Geber  does  not,  however,  rely  on  the  configuration  of  the  valley  or  on  the 
existence  of  the  springs  of  brackish  water  at  this  point.  The  nomenclature  is  regarded  as  the 
proof,  for,  though  in  appearance  so  different,  the  word  Ezion,  in  its  original  Hebrew  form,  and 
the  Arabic  word  El  Ghiidian,  are  actually  identical,  letter  for  letter ;  and  they  correspond 
phonetically,  as  Professor  Palmer  observes,  with  "  Diana,"  the  Latin  form  of  the  name  as  it 
appears  on  the  Peutinger  Tables.*  It  is  there  shown  that  "  Diana "  (Ezion)  was  sixteen 
Roman,  that  is  fourteen  and  a  half  English  miles  from  "  Haila  "  (Elath),  which  agrees  with 
the  position  assigned  to  the  former  at  El  Ghudian. 

There  has  never  been  any  doubt  respecting  the  position  of  Elath ;  its  site  is  still  marked 
by  extensive  mounds  of  rubbish  at  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah,  on  the  eastern  curve  of 
the  bay.  In  the  history  of  this  place  there  is  scarcely  a  missing  link  since  Solomon  used  it  as 
his  seaport.  In  the  reign  of  Ahaz  it  was  conquered  by  the  Syrians  and  the  Jews  were 
driven  from  it  (2  Kings  xvi.  6).  It  is  mentioned  frequently  by  Greek  and  Roman  writers 
under  the  name  of  Ailah  and  ^lena,  and  was  the  station  of  a  Roman  legion.  In  the  days  of 
Jerome  it  still  traded  with  India.  On  the  approach  of  the  victorious  army  of  the  followers  of 
Muhammed  in  a.d.  630,  John,  the  Christian  King  of  Ailah,  submitted  voluntarily  to  the 
conquerors,  and  secured  peace  by  payment  of  tribute.  From  this  time  the  place  declined,  and 
Baldwin  I.,  in  the  year  a.d.  1116,  with  two  hundred  followers,  took  possession  of  it,  having 
found  it  deserted.  Saladin  (Salah-ed-Din)  regained  it  in  1167,  and  it  was  never  fully 
recovered  by  the  Crusaders,  though  the  reckless  Raynald  of  Chatillon  seized  upon  the  town 
and  held  it  for  a  few  days. 

Aileh,  or  'Akabah  Aileh,  as  the  modern  representative  of  the  ancient  city  of  Elath  is 
called,  is  one  of  the  chief  stations  on  the  route  of  the  Egyptian  Hajj— the  yearly  caravan  of 

*  This  remarkable  work  owes  its  name  Tabula  Peutingeriana  to  Peutinger,  a  scholar  and  statesman  of  Augsburg,  who  was  long  its  possessor. 
It  is  a  rude  chart  or  delineation  of  the  military  roads  of  the  Roman  empire,  with  the  distances  between  the  towns,  constructed  not  later  than 
the  fourth  century.  By  some  authorities  it  is  believed  to  date  from  the  reign  of  Alexander  Severus,  A.D.  222—235.  The  present  copy,  the  only 
one  known  to  exist,  appears  to  have  been  made  in  the  twelfth  or  thirteenth  century.  It  is  a  long  narrow  chart  wound  on  rollers,  and  is  preserved 
in  the  Imperial  Library  at  Vienna.    It  has  been  of  great  value  to  students  of  biblical  topography,  and  a  fac-simile  of  it  has  been  published. 


T2S 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


pilgrims  from  Cairo  to  Mecca — and, 
indeed,  it  now  owes  its  existence 
chiefly  to  that  circumstance.  It  con- 
sists of  a  large  fortress  only,  called 
Kul'at  el  'Akabah,  built  probably  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  south  of  the 
mounds  of  ruins  above  alluded  to. 
It  is  occupied  by  a  governor  with  a 
small  garrison,  and  serves  to  keep 
the  neighbouring  tribes  in  awe,  and 
to  protect  and  minister  to  the  wants 
of  the  pilgrims.  It  is  an  oblong 
quadrangle  of  high  thick  walls  with 
a  bastion  at  each  corner.  There  are 
wells  of  good  water  near,  and  groves 
of  palm-trees  around  it.  Inside,  all 
round  the  walls,  there  are  cells  or 
chambers  with  substantial  flat  roofs, 
on  which  huts  thatched  with  palm 
branches  are  erected.  The  modern 
name  'Akabah,  "a  steep  descent,"  is 
derived  from  the  long  and  difficult 
pass  in  the  western  mountains  on  the 
Hajj  road. 

Closely  connected  with  the  his- 
tory of  'Akabah  (Elath)  is  the 
picturesque  Jezirat  Far'on  (Island  of 


A  PEEP  INTO  ONE  OF  THE  COURTS  OF  THE  CONVENT. 

Showing  a  rude  flight  of  steps  leading  to   the  upper  chambers.     On  the  left   tho 

summits  of  the  belfry  of  the  church  and  the  minaret  of  the  mosque  may  be  seen. 


MOUNT  HOR  AND  THE  CLIFFS  OF  EDOM.  229 

Pharaoh).      It   is  about    nine  miles  south-south-west  of  the  fortress  of  'Akabah,  and  half  a 


THE    UPPER   CHAMBERS   OF  THE   CONVENT 
With  the  peaks  of  Jebel  Musa  in  the  background. 


mile  or  less  from  the  opposite  or  western  shore,  whence  the  view  on  page  224  is  taken. 

VOL.    III.  II  H 


230  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

Captain  R.  F.  Burton,  who  has  recently  visited  it,  says  that  the  people  of '  Akabah  call  it  simply 
Jebel  el  Kulat  (Mount  of  the  Fort).  It  has  had  a  puzzling  variety  of  names  attributed  to  it — 
variations  of  the  words  El  Kurey  and  El  Kureiyeh,  meaning  "  the  village,"  or  "  the  ruin." 
Laborde  calls  it  El  Graie.  It  is  a  grey  granite  rock,  dyked  with  decaying  porphyritic  trap,  and 
everywhere  veined  with  white  and  various  coloured  quartzes.  The  shape  is  a  long  oval  of 
about  three  hundred  and  forty  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  yards,  and  it  consists  of  two  stony 
mounds  united  by  an  isthmus.  The  northern  peak  is  the  higher,  and  rises  about  a  hundred 
yards  above  the  sea-level.  It  is  encircled  with  barrier  reefs  of  coraline.  At  the  extreme  north 
there  is  a  tower,  and  on  the  northern  mound,  which  is  scarped  here  and  there,  stands  the  castle 
keep,  defended  by  an  enceinte.  In  the.  highest  part  there  is  a  carefully  cemented  underground 
cistern,  in  which  there  are  two  pointed  arches  divided  by  a  tall  column.  Below  there  is  a  small 
harbour,  and  the  pier  leads  to  a  covered  way  enabling  the  garrison  safely  to  circulate  round  the 
base  of  the  island.     The  southern  knob  supports  similar  but  inferior  constructions. 

Captain  Burton,  from  whose  account  the  above  description  is  gleaned,  says  :  "  The  castle 
is  evidently  European,  built  in  the  days  when  the  Crusaders  held  El  'Akabah  ;  but  it  probably 
rests  upon  Roman  ruins,  and  the  latter,  perhaps,  upon  Egyptian  remains  of  far  older  date.  The 
Saracenic  buildings  may  date  from  the  reign  of  Salah-ed-Din  (Saladin),  who  drove  out  the 
Crusaders  in  1167  a.d."  In  the  year  a.d.  1182  the  island  was  unsuccessfully  besieged  by 
Raynald  of  Chatillon,  and  in  the  time  of  Abulfeda  (about  1300)  the  island  was  already 
abandoned  and  the  governor  transferred  to  the  castle  on  the  mainland — Kul'at  el  'Akabah ; 
thus  all  the  important  structures  must  have  been  erected  prior  to.  that  date.  For  centuries 
it  has  been  either  utterly  deserted  or  used  as  a  place  of  refuge  or  abode  by  pirates  and 
fishermen. 

THE   CONVENT   OF   ST.    CATHERINE. 

The  Caravan  or  Hajj  route  of  Christian  pilgrims  from  Syria  and  Palestine  to  the 
Convent  of  St.  Catherine  and  the  "  holy  places  "  in  its  neighbourhood,  runs  from  the  Valley  of 
the  'Arabah  round  the  head  of  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah,  and  winds  along  its  western  shore. 
Travellers  who  approach  the  Sinaitic  peninsula  from  the  north-east,  instead  of  from  Suez, 
usually  follow  the  same  route,  traversing  the  shell-strewn  sands  at  the  foot  of  a  mountain  wall 
of  grey  granite  intersected  at  intervals  by  stony  wadys  strewn  with  gravel. 

At  the  mouth  of  the  broad  and  barren  Wady  Merakh,  within  sight  of  Jezlrat  Far'on 
(see  page  224),  the  traveller  is  compelled  to  change  his  escort,  for  here  the  territory  of  the 
Haiwat  tribe  of  Arabs  terminates,  and  that  of  the  great  Tawarah  tribe  commences.  For 
some  distance  south  of  this  point  the  road  passes  over  high  promontories  stretching  far  into 
the  sea. 

The  Land  of  Midian,  on  the  opposite  or  eastern  side  of  the  gulf,  can  be  plainly  seen. 
Far   inland,  and   tinged   light  blue   by  the   distance,   rise  the   sharp  and    saw-like  crests  of 


THE  CONVENT  OF  ST.  CATHERINE.  231 

El  Sharaf,  and  a  sandy  plain  (called  by  the  Bedawin  "Tihamat  Madyan  ")  slopes  from  them 
towards  the  shore  cliffs.  The  Hajj  route  to  Mecca  can  be  distinguished  running  diagonally 
in  a  south-easterly  direction  across  the  plain,  from  Hakl,  a  pilgrim  station  on  the  sea-shore, 
towards  the  distant  mountains.  The  Christian  Hajj  road  pursues  its  way  southwards  along 
the  widening  sandy  shore,  till  at  a  short  distance  south  of  the  great  chasm  of  Wady  Wetir, 
and  just  opposite  a  brackish  fountain  surrounded  by  dwarf  palm-trees,  called  'Ain  en  Nuweibi'a, 
it  turns  abruptly  from  the  sea-shore  and  enters  the  great  mountain  range  by  the  picturesque 
ravine,  Nukb  el  Abweib  (the  little  door).  From  this  point  the  convent  is  about  fifty  miles 
due  south-west,  and  the  camel  road  approaches  it  in  as  direct  a  line  as  is  possible  in  a  land  of 
mountains  and  precipices.  After  traversing  the  Wady  Samghi,  it  issues  out  into  a  plain  of 
sandstone  veined  with  granite  and  deoderite,  then  it  runs  through  wadys  and  over  steep 
slopes  to  another  plain,  El  Ghor,  soon  passing  near  to  'Ain  el  Hudhera,  which  probably 
represents  Hazeroth  (Numbers  xi.  35).  In  its  neighbourhood  there  are  several  connected 
wadys  called  Mawarid  el  Hudhera  (paths  to  Hudhera),  indicating  that  it  was  once  an 
important  place.  After  crossing  the  Wady  Murrah,  the  road  runs  along  the  wide  plain  of 
Wady  Sa'al.  Here  seyal  or  tiiJil  trees .  (acacias)  grow  to  a  considerable  size,  with  thin 
foliage  and  a  multitude  of  thorns.  From  them  gum  arabic  is  sometimes  gathered.  The  road 
now  enters  a  narrow  branch  of  Wady  Sa'al,  a  gloomy  valley  shut  in  between  high  desolate 
mountains  of  granite,  veined  with  porphyry  and  slate,  and  here  and  there  crested  with 
sandstone,  all  entirely  destitute  of  vegetation  ;  a  few  scattered  shrubs  and  herbs,  however, 
grow  in  the  bottom  of  the  valley.  Emerging  from  this  wady,  the  road  rises  over  a  rocky  pass 
to  the  summit  of  a  ridge,  said  by  Robinson  to  be  the  water-parting  "  between  the  waters 
flowing  to  the  Gulf  of  Suez  and  those  running  to  the  Gulf  of  'Akabah."  It  presently 
descends  to  the  Wady  Suweiriyeh,  in  which  there  is  a  well  with  enclosed  gardens  near  it,  called 
Abu  Suweiriyeh.  This  wady  enters  the  broad  Wady  esh  Sheikh  (Saleh),  near  to  a 
Muhammedan  wely,  four  thousand  four  hundred  and  seventy-nine  feet  above  the  sea, 
dedicated  to  Neby  Saleh  (the  prophet  Saleh),  who  is  highly  revered  by  the  Bedawin.  Like 
the  generality  of  welys,  it  is  a  cubical  structure  covered  with  a  dome  and  whitewashed.  It 
contains  a  cenotaph  with  numerous  votive  offerings  suspended  above  it,  consisting  chiefly  of 
tassels,  shawls,  ostrich  eggs,  camels'  halters  and  bridles.  The  Tawarah  Bedawin  (the 
Bedawin  of  Tur,  i.e.  Sinai)  regard  Neby  Saleh  as  their  ancestor ;  he  was  probably,  however, 
the  celebrated  Muhammedan  prophet  of  the  same  name,  who  at  an  early  period  was  renowned 
for  his  eloquence,  and  who  is  extolled  in  the  Koran  as  one  of  the  most  venerable  of  patriarchs 
(see  Sale's  Koran,  chap,  vii.,  called  "  El  Araf."  In  the  notes  to  this  chapter  will  be  found  the 
curious  legends  concerning  Saleh). 

Every  May  a  great  festival  takes  place  at  the  shrine  of  Neby  Saleh,  accompanied  with 
sacrifices,  feastings,  and  games,  at  which  women  are  also  present ;  and  a  smaller  festival  is 
held,  immediately  after  the  date  harvest.  At  the  close  of  the  proceedings  all  present  ascend  to 
the  summit  of  Jebel  Musa,  and  there  offer  sacrifices  to  Moses.     From  the  shrine  of  Neby  Saleh 

11  11  2 


232 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


VIEW   FROM   THE   NORTH-EASTERN   GALLERIES. 

Showing  the  lofty  chamber  of  the  south  corner.     A  monk  at  a  lower  window  is  striking  a  piece  ot 

suspended  iron  with  a  hammer,  to  call  the  fraternity  to  prayers  in  one  of  the  numerous  chapels. 


the  heights  of  Jebel  Mfisa 
are  visible.  The  road 
gradually  ascends  as  it  tra- 
verses the  Wadyesh  Sheikh, 
and  finally  turns  into  the 
Wady  ed  Deir,  when  sud- 
denly the  great  convent  is 
revealed  to  view ;  but  from 
this  point  only  its  high 
north-western  wall  and  its 
extensive  gardens  can  be 
seen,  as  shown  in  the 
vignette  on  the  title-page 
of  this  volume. 

The  convent  is  an 
irregular  quadrangle,  en- 
closed by  lofty  walls  built 
of  blocks  of  granite,  except 
the  upper  courses,  which  are 
composed  of  a  mixture  of 
granite,  sand,  and  gravel, 
cemented  together  by  mud, 
which  has  acquired  great 
hardness.  The  walls  are 
protected  by  several  towers, 
and  the  south-eastern  wall 
is  scarped.  The  valley  in 
which  the  convent  stands  is 
so  narrow  at  the  bottom, 
that  while  its  north-eastern 
wall  runs  along  the  water- 
course, the  main  body  of  the 
building  is  on  the  slope 
of  the  mountain,  so  that 
the  south-western  wall  lies 
considerably  higher  than 
the  north-eastern.  In  the 
north-eastern  wall  there  is 
a  wicket  gate  covered  with 
a   pent-house,   about  thirty 


THE  CONVENT  OF  ST.  CATHERINE. 


233 


INTERIOR  OF  THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  CONVENT 


The  framework  of  the  door  leading  into  the  nave  is  richly  decorated  ;  its  panels  are  embellished  with  enamels. 

silver  lamps  and  ostrich  eggs,  suspended  by  long  cords. 


CATHERINE. 

From  the  ceiling  hang  numerous 


234  PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 

feet  from  the  ground,  through  which  travellers  were  formerly  drawn  up  into  the  convent.  As 
the  traveller  approaches  its  walls,  his  Bedawy  attendants  hasten  forward,  and  standing  beneath 
the  pent-house,  shout  out,  "  Ya  Musa  !  Ya  Musa !"  ("  O  Moses  !  "),  this  being  the  name  of  the 
porter  now  in  office.  Presently  a  turbaned  head  peers  out,  then  a  rope  with  a  basket  attached 
to  it  is  let  down  ;  in  this  the  letter  of  introduction,  or  pass  from  a  branch  convent,  is  placed, 
and  quickly  drawn  up  (see  page  225).  The  buttress  near  to  this  wicket  was  built  by  General 
Kleber,  the  commander  of  the  French  troops  during  their  occupation  of  Egypt.  A  tablet  let 
into  the  wall  commemorates  the  restoration  of  the  building  by  that  commander. 

Presently  an  iron  gate,  which  leads  into  a  courtyard  between  the  garden  and  the  convent, 
is  opened,  and  the  candidate  for  admission  is  welcomed  by  the  G£conomos,  or  bursar  of  the 
convent,  and  probably  received  with  an  embrace  and  a  kiss.  His  Arab  attendants  and  camels 
are  left  outside  to  bivouac  in  the  valley  (see  page  238),  while  he  is  led  into  the  convent  through 
a  low  door  in  the  north-west  wall  near  to  an  entrance,  now  built  up,  which  was  formerly  used 
for  the  admission  of  high  dignitaries,  and  called  Bab  er  Ras,  or  the  Abbot's  Gate.  The 
space  enclosed  within  the  convent  walls  is  cut  up  into  a  number  of  irregularly  shaped  small 
courts,  by  ranges  of  buildings  running  in  all  directions,  forming  quite  a  labyrinth  of  narrow 
v/inding  passages  ascending  and  descending  (see  page  228).  In  one  of  these  courts  there  is  a 
well  with  a  few  apricot-trees  near  it,  in  others  a  few  flowers  or  vegetables  are  planted,  and 
ancient  vines  appear  in  several  places  running  over  rude  trellis-work.  There  are  many  isolated 
upper  chambers  approached  by  rickety  wooden  stairs  or  ladders  (see  page  232),  and  apartments 
are  perched  high  up,  projecting  over  the  walls  at  the  west  and  south  corners  (see  vignette  on 
the  title-page).  A  long  row  of  cells,  half  of  which  are  reserved  for  the  use  of  pilgrims  and 
travellers,  are  built  along  the  north-west  wall,  and  open  into  a  covered  corridor  or  gallery 
constructed  of  wood  and  approached  by  two  flights  of  stone  steps  (see  page  229).  The  wall 
facing  the  top  of  the  first  flight  of  steps  is  pierced  with  loopholes,  through  which  glimpses 
may  be  caught  of  the  broad  plain  of  Er  Rahah  (see  page  238).  In  these'  are  set  the  ordnance 
of  the  convent.  Everything  bears  the  mark  of  high  antiquity,  being  apparently  the  patchwork 
of  various  bygone  centuries. 

Besides  the  great  Church  of  the  Transfiguration  which,  with  its  handsome  new  bell-tower, 
stands  in  the  midst  of  these  buildings,  close  to  a  now  rarely  used  mosque  (see  page  235),  there 
are  several  small  chapels  or  oratories  dispersed  over  the  convent,  in  which  masses  are 
occasionally  said.  The  ordinary  mode  of  calling  the  fraternity  to  prayers  is  by  striking  with  a 
hammer  a  piece  of  iron,  like  part  of  the  tire  of  a  wheel,  more  or  less  bent,  and  suspended  by 
ropes  (see  page  232).  A  flat  piece  of  granite,  thus  suspended  and  struck  with  a  wooden  stick, 
serves  the  same  purpose,  producing  a  ringing  sound.  There  is  an  example  of  this  kind  of 
bell  hanging  by  the  doorway  of  an  oratory  on  page  228,  and  in  the  lower  stage  of  the  great 
bell-tower  there  is  a  long  plank  of  wood  which,  on  being  struck,  can  be  heard  all  over  the 
convent.  Bells  are  only  rung  on  church  festivals  and  occasions  of  rejoicing,  or  to  show  respect 
to  some  high  dignitary. 


THE  CONVENT  OF  ST.  CATHERINE. 


235 


The  Church  of  the  Trans- 
figuration is  an  early  Christian 
basilica,  traditionally  ascribed 
to  Justinian,  and  the  interior  is 
a  very  imposing  specimen  of 
Greek  ecclesiastical  decoration 
(see  page  233).  The  church  is 
entered  by  a  porch,  and  a  flight 
of  steps  descends  beyond  it. 
Each  of  the  lofty  walls,  bearing 
the  entablature  of  the  nave, 
rests  on  thick  columns  of  granite, 
the  capitals  of  which  are  adorned 
with  boldly  executed  foliage. 
The  aisles  are  lighted  by  five 
Byzantine  windows  on  each  side, 
and  are  covered  by  a  sloping 
roof;  the  west  window  over  the 
entrance  is  in  the  form  of  a 
cross,  and  is  shown  on  this  page. 
The  beautiful  rounded  apse  is 
adorned  with  mosaics  of  great 
value,  executed  by 
European  artists  as 
early  as  the  seventh 
or  eighth  century. 


MJ 

f    M 

X^A\    A 

4&*>    JH 

i 


THE   CRESCENT   AND  THE   CROSS. 

The  belfry  of  the  church  and  the  minaret  of  the  mosque,  standing  so  near  to  each  other  within  the  convent  walls,  produce  a  singular  effect,  and 

strange  to  say  the  former  is  of  very  recent  construction,  while  the  latter  dates  from  an  early  period. 


236 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


The  most  important  of  these  is  the 
Transfiguration  of  Christ,  or,  as  the 
Greeks  call  it,  "  the  Metamorphosis," 
in  memory  of  which  the  convent  was 
originally  consecrated.  At  the  corners 
of  this  are  two  medallions,  said  to  be 
portraits  of  Justinian  and  Theodora. 

The  Chapel  of  the  Burning  Bush,  at 
the  back  of  the  apse,  is  probably  the 
oldest  part  of  the  building.  The  spot 
where  the  bush  is  said  to  have  stood  is 
indicated  by  a  plate  of  chased  silver.  A 
light  is  kept  perpetually  burning  in  this 
sanctuary,  and  it   may  only  be  entered 


unshod.     In  a  court  not 

far  from  the  east  end  of     ;  ->^^, 

the   church   there    is    a     >~3>''! 

well  of  good  water,  called  the  Well  of 

Moses,  pointed  out  by  the  monks  as  the 

one  at  which  Moses  watered  the  flocks 

of  Jethro's  daughter. 

The  library  of  the  monastery  occupies 
the  two  lower  floors  of  a  building  near 
the  church.  Its  greatest  treasure  now  is 
the  famous  Book  of  the  Gospels,  dating 
from  the  time,  of  Theodosius  III.,  a.d. 
766,  written  on  white  parchment,  both 
sides  of  each  sheet  having  two  columns 
in  golden  uncial  characters.  It  was  at 
this  convent   that  M.    Tischendorf  dis- 


GATE  OF  ST.  STEPHEN  THE  PORTER. 

An  archway  on  the  ascent  to  Jebel  MGsa,  where  pilgrims  formerly  confessed 

before  they  visited  the  sacred  heights. 


THE  CONVENT  OF  ST.  CATHERINE. 


237 


covered  the  copy  of  the  Bible  known  as  the  "Codex  Sinaiticus."  It 
is  now  at  St.  Petersburg,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  leaves  pre- 
served in  the  University  at  Leipsic,  and  others  which  are  lost.  The 
New  Testament  is  quite  complete.  The  work  has  been  reproduced 
at  the  expense  of  the  Emperor  of  Russia,  who  has  presented  a  copy 
to  the  convent  library. 

On  the  north-west  or  garden  side  of  the  convent  is  the  burial- 
place  of  the  monks.  At  the  gate  of  the  priests'  vault  is  placed  the 
skeleton  of  St.  Stephanus  "  the  porter,"  wearing  a  skull  cap  of  violet 
velvet;  he  died  in  a.d.  1580.  This  is  the  St.  Stephen  from  whom 
the  archway  on  page  236  derives  its  name.  The  ascent  to  the  holy 
places  on  Jebel  Musa  (the  Mount  of  Moses)  by  the  path  which  leads 
through  this  gate  is  said  to 
be  not  very  difficult,  for  its 
three  thousand  steps  are 
kept  in  tolerably  good  repair. 
The  first  object  of  interest 
on  the  way  is  'Ain  Musa 
(the  spring  of  Moses),  which 
runs  from  beneath  a  great 
boulder.  Higher  up  is  the 
Chapel  of  the  Virgin ;  at 
this  point  the  road  turns  to 
the  right,  and,  after  a  steep 
ascent,  passes  through  a  cleft 
in  the  rock  spanned  by  the 
arch  known  as  the  Gate  of 
St.  Stephen  the  porter,  for 
here  it  is  said  he  used  to 
sit  (in  the  same  attitude  in 
which  he  now  sits  in  the 
charnel  -  house),  confessing 
pilgrims,  and  giving  them 
passes  to  the  sacred  heights, 
so  that  they  might  proceed 
on  their  way  chanting  the 
words,  "  Who  shall  ascend 
unto  the  hill  of  the  Lord  ? 
Who  shall  stand  in  His  holy 

vol.  in.  !  T 


WELL  IN   THE  GARDEN   OF  THE  CONVENT   OF  ST.   CATHERINE. 

This  garden  is  north-west  of  the  convent,  and  enclosed  by  a  high  wall.     The  lofty  chamber  at  the 
north  corner  of  the  convent  is  shown  above. 


233 


PICTURESQUE  PALESTINE. 


place  ?  Even  he  that  hath  clean  hands  and  a  pure  heart."  The  Convent  of  St.  Catherine 
belongs  to  the  Greek  Church,  and  is  presided  over  by  a  non-resident  archbishop,  who  is  repre- 
sented by  a  prior  or  agent,  but  the  affairs  of  the  convent  are  actually  managed  by  an  intendant. 
The  monastic  rules  are  very  strict,  and  the  convent  is  said  to  be  regarded  as  a  kind  of  penal 


EASTERN  TOWER  OF  THE  CONVENT  OF  ST.  CATHERINE, 

And  part  of  the  convent  garden,  with  the  plain  of  Er  Rahah  and  the 
narrow  pass  called  Nukb  Hawy  in  the  distance. 

settlement.  Most  of  the  monks  are  uneducated 
men,  and  nearly  every  one  practises  some  handicraft, 
but  their  tools  are  of  the  most  primitive  character. 

The  Arabs  known  as  the  Jebeliyeh  have  for  cen- 
turies been  employed  as  the  servitors  of  the  monks 
(see  page  233).  Their  connection  with  the  convent  is 
very  singular.  They  are  said  to  be  descended  from  one  hundred  Roman  and  one  hundred 
Egyptian  slaves,  who,  with  their  wives  and  children,  were  presented  to  the  convent  as  retainers 
by  Justinian.  Although  originally  Christians,  they  could  not  be  prevented  by  their  monastic 
masters  from  embracing  Muhammedanism,  but  they  do  not  make  much  use  of  the  mosque  (see 
page  235),  which  was  built  in  the  fourteenth  century  to  propitiate  the  rulers  of  the  land. 


INDEX  TO   VOL.   III. 


Aaron's  Terrace,  Mount  Hor, 
225. 

Tomb,  Mount  Hor,  220,  222 — 
224. 
Abraham's  Oak,  Hebron,  183, 193. 
Abdallah  Pasha,  74,  76,  99. 
Abu  Habib  of  Tanturah,  119. 
Accho.     See  'A  kka. 
Achzib  (2ib),  70. 
Acre,  St.  Jean  d'.     See'Akka. 

Plain  of,  71,  72,  74,  80,  92 — 94, 
107. 
Adonis,  the  (Nahr  Ibrahim),  17, 

19,  27. 
Adullam  (Ed  el  Miye),  182,  192, 

193,  194- 
Afka,  fountain  of  (Apheca),    16, 

27. 
Ailah,  or  Aileh.     See  Elath. 
'Ain  ed  Dustrey,  113. 
'Ain  el  HisTiy,  9. 
'Ain  Kadis,  209 — 2ir. 
'Ain  Shems  (Bethshemesh),  153, 

155,  156. 
'Ain    es     Siyeh,     the     Pilgrim's 

Fountain,  101. 
'Ain  el  Weibeh,  209 — 211. 
Ajeltun,  25,  29. 
Ajlan  (Eglon),  171. 
'Akabah  Aileh  (Elath),  227,  228. 

Gulf  of,  224,  226 — 231. 
'Akir  (Ekron),  150,  156. 
'Akka  (Accho,  Ptolemais,  St.  Jean 
d'Acre),  73 — 91. 

Sieges  of,  75,  78,  79,  91. 

Commerce  and  markets  of,  82 
—86. 
Akura,  Cliffs  of  El,  15,  27. 

Natural  bridge,  27. 
Alexander  the  Great,  54,  59,  87. 
'Aly  ibn '  Aleim,  sanctuary  of,  134. 
Amrit,  ruins  of  (Marathus),  6 — 9, 

66. 
Antaradus  (Tartus),  4,  6. 
Antipatris,  121,  138,  139. 
Apollonia  (Arsuf),  135. 
Aqueducts  at  Acre,  72,  74,  75. 

Cassarea,  130. 

Dog  River,  31,  37. 

of  Ras  el  'Ain,  Tyre,  60,  63. 
'Arabah,  Wady  el,  211,  226,  227, 
230. 

Animal  life  in,  226. 

Vegetation  of,  226. 
Arab  sailing-boat,  118,  119. 
'Arak    el    Minshiyeh    i,(h)Lanb 

171. 
Ard  Dabitha,  Jaffa,  143. 
Ark,  journey  of  the,  154,  155. 
Arka,  Tell,  10. 
Arkites,  1,  10. 

Arnon,  the  (Wady  Mojeb),  201. 
Arsuf  (Apollonia),  135. 
Arvad  (Ruad),  4,  6,  66. 
Arvadites,  4,  7,  8. 
Ascalon  ('Askulan),  164,  166,  169, 

172.  '73- 
Ashdod  (Eshdud),  154,  165. 
'Ashur,  Wady,  66,  67. 
Assyrian  rock-cut  tablets,  31,  33. 
Athlit,  79,  95 — 100,  101,  104,  108, 

109,  115. 


Baal,  priests  of,  106. 

Worship,  6,  7. 
Badiet    et    Tih   (Desert    of   the 

Wanderings),  211. 
Basalt,  82. 

Baldwin  I.,  35,  90,  128,  129,  227. 
Barbarossa's  grave  at  Tyre,  55. 
Barcochaba  (the  false  Messiah), 

162,  163. 
Barucha,  189. 
Bay  of  Acre,  83,  91,  92. 


Beersheba  (Bir  es   Seb'a),    168, 

207,  209. 
Beirut,  34 — 38. 

Distant  view  of,  28,  33. 
Beit  Jebrin,  171 — 178. 
Belad  er   Ruheh  (Breezy  Land), 

109. 
Belfort  (Shukif),  52,  70. 
Belus,  the  (Nahr  Na'aman),  71, 

94. 
Belvoir  (Kaukab  el  Hawa),  70. 
Berachah,  184,  189. 
Bethshemesh  ('Ain  esh   Shems), 

153.  155.  156. 
Bridges,  Natural,  20,  21,  27,  28, 

29. 
British  Fleet  at  'Akka,  79. 
Brocardus,  101. 
Burckhardt,  21,  225. 
Burton,  Capt.  R.  F.,  230. 


Cabul  (Kabul),  71. 

Caesarea  Sebaste,  108,  109,  in, 

112,  126 — 130. 
Cafe,  Beirut,  39. 
Cafe  in  the  Lebanon,  29. 
Cairo,  Gate  from  'Akka  at,  91. 
Call  to  Prayer,  115,  135. 
Camels,  82,  83. 
Carmel,  Mount,  70,  84,  85,  88,  89, 

99—109. 
Castel  Blanc  (Burj  Santa),  4. 
Castellum  Perigrinorum,  no. 
Castle  of  'Akabah,  228. 
Cadmus,  2. 

Ras  el  'Ain  (Mirabel),  120,  138. 
Museilihah,  n,  12. 
Tripoli,  15.  ' 
Cathedral  of  Tartus,  6. 

Tyre,  54,  56. 
Cave  of  Machpelah,  183,  186, 194, 

195. 
Cedars  of  Lebanon,  14,  24 — 26. 
Chasm  of  Neb'a  Lebban,  23. 
Cleopatra,  daughter  of  Ptolemy 

VI.,  98. 
Coast  road,  no,  114,  117. 
Coinage  of  'Akka,  89,  91. 
the  Crusaders,  90,  91. 
Sycaminum,  98. 
Colocynth,  131,  226. 
Conder,  R.E.,  Lieut,  (now  Cap- 
tain) C.  R.,  103,  no,  127. 
Convent  at  Ajeltun,  25,  29. 
of  St.  Catherine,  Jebel  Musa, 

230 — 238. 
Bells,  234. 
Servitors,  238. 
of  Mount  Carmel,  84,  100. 
Crocodile   River.     See  Nahr  ez 

Zerha. 
Crocodiles,  123 — 126. 
Crusading        fortresses         and 
churches,  52,  70,  71,  72,  90, 
91,   101,  104,   105,  118,   123, 
129.  135".  147- 


Dagon,  154,  164. 
Daliet  el  Kurmul,  103. 

Ruheh,  103,  123. 
Dancing  Dervishes,  Convent  of 

the,  8,  18. 
David  and  Goliath,  157,  158. 
Dead   Sea  (Bahr  Lut),  185,  199, 

201,  204,  206. 
Defile  of  Athlit,  no,  113. 

of  Petra,  217,  220. 
Deir,  ed    (the  Convent),    Petra, 

220,  221,  224. 
Detroit,  113,  114. 
Dhaher  el  'Amer,  76,  95. 
Diana  (Ezion),  227. 
Dog  River.     See  Nahr  el  Kelb. 


Dor.     See  Tanturah. 
Druses  of  Mount  Carmel,    100, 
103,  106. 
Lebanon,  41. 
Dura  (Dora),  195. 
Dustrey,  113,  114. 


Eben-ezer,  154. 

Edom,  211 — 229. 

Eglon.     See  Ajlan. 

Egyptian  rule  in  Palestine,  78, 

79- 
Ehden  or  Eden,  22,  23. 
Ekron.    See  'Akir. 
Elah.    See  Wddy  es  Stint. 
Elath,  227. 
Eleutheropolis,  174. 
Elijah's  Fountain,  101. 

Garden,  102. 
Engedi,  190,  192,  199 — 207. 
Eshcol,  183,  195,  211. 
Esdraelon,  96,  107,  109. 
Eusebius,  127. 
Ezion  Geber,  site  of,  227. 


Fables,  Arab,  99,  102,  125,  126. 
Fakr  ed  Din,  the  Druse  prince, 

35.  43.  77- 
Finn,  Mr.  James,  139,  223,  224. 
Flora  of  the  'Arabah,  226. 
Carmel,  102,  103. 
Engedi,  191,  202,  203. 
Lebanon,  19. 
Plain  of  Acre,  92 — 94. 
Plain  of  Sharon,  146. 
Fountain  of  Afka  (Apheca),   16, 
27. 
of  Honey  (Neb'a  el  'Asal),  28, 

3°- 
of  Milk  (Neb'a  el  Lebban),  20, 
23,  28,  29,  30. 
Fruit  gardens  of  Saida,  43. 
Jaffa,  142,  143. 

Ganneau,    M.    Ch.    Clermont, 

143,  144- 
Gardens  at  Haifa,  94,  95. 

Jaffa,  142. 
Gates,  city,  73 — 81. 
Gath,  157 — 161,  176. 
Gaza   (Ghuzzeh),   169,   170,   172, 

175- 
Gerar,  172, 
Gezer,  144. 

Ghudian,  El  (Ezion  Geber),  227. 
Glass,  ancient,  63. 
Glass,  invention  of,  71,  72. 
Glass    factory,   Hebron    (note), 

195. 
Goliath  of  Gath,  157,  158. 
Grottoes  of  the  Dog  River,  30. 
and  caves  of  Mount  Carmel,  85 

— 99,  101. 
Guerin,  M.,  139. 


Haifa,  70,  75,  78,  92 — 99. 
El  'Atikah  (ancient),  96. 
Hamath,  1,  2,  4. 
Hanawiyeh,  57,  65. 
Hariri,  El,  83. 
Harothieh,  107. 
Harvest,  6. 
HasrOn,  24. 
Hazoreth,  231. 
Hebron,  183 — 187,  194 — 199. 
Hermits  of  Carmel,  99. 
Herod  the  Great,  88,  126,  127. 
Hiram's   Tomb,  Tyre,   57,   63- 

66. 
Hivites,  1. 
Holy  Grail,  the,  128. 


Ibrah!m  Pasha  at  Acre,  78,  80. 
Imam  'Aly,  sanctuary  of,   141 — 

143- 
Inscriptions,  Egyptian  and  Assy- 
rian, 31. 
Phoenician,  46. 


Jabneh.    See  Yabneh. 

Jaffa  (Joppa),  128,  129,  131,  132, 

133,  139—148. 
to  Ramleh,  143,  144. 
Jaita,  22. 
Jebal,  El,  213. 
Jebel   Harun,   Mount  of  Aaron, 

217,  220 — 225. 
Jebel  Mar  Elyas.    See  Carmel. 
Jebel  Musa,  231,  237. 
Jerar,  169. 
Jezirat  Far'on  (Isle  of  Pharaoh), 

224,  228 — 230. 
Jezreel  (Zerin),  96,  107. 
Jezzar  Pasha  of  'Akka,  74,  75,  87, 

174. 
Jokneam.    See  Tell  Kaimun. 
Josephus,  98,  220—222. 
Juneh,  24,  31. 
Jurah,  El,  166. 


Kadesh  Barnea,  site  of,  209, 

211,  222. 
Kadis,    'Ain    el    (the    spring  of 

Kadis),  2og,  211. 
Kadisha,  Valley  of  the,  58. 

The  Holy  River,  14. 
Kanah,  66. 
Kasimiyeh,  50 — 53. 
Katrine,  118,  121,  222. 
Kefr  Lamm,  A  night  at,  114,  117. 
Kefr  Saba,  117 — 136,  138. 
Kerek,  202. 
Khan  Dustrey,  113. 
Khan  Neby  Yunas,  40,  44. 
Kirjath  Jearim,  156. 
Kishon,  the  River,  80,  92, 97,  106, 

107. 
Kitchener,  R.E.,  Lieut.,  135. 
Kul'at  el  Kfirn  (Montfort),  70,  71. 
Ras  el  'Ain  (Mirabel),  120,  121, 

138,  139- 


Ladder  of  Tyre,  64,  67, 68, 69. 

Lakis  (Lachish),  170. 

Latron,  147,  152. 

Lebanon,  divisions  of  the,  18,  19. 

Government,  19,  22. 

Geological  formation,  26. 
Leontes,  the,  50,  51,  53. 
Litany,  50,  52. 
Libnah,  171. 
Liyatheneh  Arabs,    Petra,    213, 

214. 
Louis  IX.,  90,  95,  99,  129. 


Mahrakah,  El  (place  of  Elijah's 

sacrifice),  89,  92,  93,   105 — 

107. 
Makrizi,  El,  91. 
Mamre  (Ramet  el    Khtilil),    187, 

189. 
Map  of  North  Lebanon,  12. 
Marathus.    See  Amrit. 
Mareshah,  72. 
Maronite  convents,  25,  32. 
Maronites,  22,  23,  24,  30. 
Mejdel  (Migdol),  164,  167. 
•Melek  ed   Dhaher  Bibars,    129, 

134,  135.  139,  144- 
Melek  el  Ashraf  Khalil,  91,  114. 
Melia  Azederach,  74. 
Melon  harvest,  130,  131.  . 
Mem,  El,  26. 


240 


INDEX. 


Midian,  land  of,  231. 
Millstones,  S2,  83. 
Mirabel,  120,  121. 
Moab,  Mountains  of,  igg,  201. 
Mosque  of  Jezzar  Pasha,  'Akka, 
76,87. 

the    Sacred  Fish,  Tripoli,  10, 
12. 
Mount  Hor,  217,  220,  225. 

Seir  (Esh  Sherrah),  211,  213. 

Turon,  91. 
Muhammed  Ali,  78. 
Mukhalid,  113,  130,  132. 
Mullawlyeh  convent,  8, 15,  18. 
Morex  purpura,  44,  48,  61. 
Museilihah  Castle,  11,  22 


Nahr  Abu  Zabura,  130,  131. 

Nahr  el  Aujeh,  121,  139. 

Nahr  el  Falik,  132. 

Nahr  el  Kebir,  1. 

Nahr  el  Kelb  (Dog  River),  20,  21, 

28,  30. 
Nahr  Na'man  (Belus),  71,  94. 
Nahr  Sukereir,  172. 
Nahr  ez  Zerka  (Crocodile  River), 

123 — 126. 
Napoleon  at  'Akka,  75,  76. 

Carrael,  99. 

Jaffa,  139. 
Napoleon's  Mount,  91. 
Natural  bridges,  20,  21,  27,  28. 
Neby  Harun,  220,  222. 

Lut,  188. 

Sal  eh,  231. 

Yunas,  40,  44. 
Nusairiyeh  Mountains,  the,  10. 


Origen,  54,  55,  127. 
Orontes,  The,  51,  52. 


Palceotyrus,  60,  62,  63. 
Paul,  St.,  127,  139. 
Paula,  Sta.,  127. 
Petra,  211 — 223. 

The  Defile,  215,  217,  218. 
Peutinger  Tables,  the,  227. 
Philistia,  149 — 172. 

Ancient  cities  of,  150,  151. 

Extent  of,  150. 

Sand  dunes  of,  150. 
Phoenician  inscriptions,  46. 

Baal  worship,  7. 
Phoenicians,  the,  57,  58. 
Pigeon  Islands,  Beirut,  38,  40. 
Plain  of  Acre,  71,  72,  74,  80,  92 — 

04. 
Plain  of  Esdraelon,  96,  107,  109. 
Plain  of  Sharon,   126,   132,   134, 

146. 
Prayers  at  sunset,  115,  131. 
Prince  of  Wales  at  Hebron,  198, 

199. 
Ptolemats,  88 — 90. 
Ptolemies  at  Acre  and  Sycami- 

num,  the,  87,  89,  98. 
Purple  dye,  the,  61. 

Shells,  44,  48,  61. 
Pythagoras  on  Mount  Carrael,  99. 


Raheh,  Plain  of  Er,  234,  238. 
Ramet  el  Khulil,  187,  189. 
Ramleh,  144 — 148. 


Ras  el  Abyad  (White  Cape),  65, 
67. 

Ras  el  'Ain,  castle  of,  120,  121, 
138.  139- 
Tyre,  60,  63,  67. 

Ras  Kerum   (head  of  the  vine- 
yard), 88,  95. 

Ras  en  Nakurah,  68,  69. 

Raymond  of  Toulouse,  14,  15. 

Raynald  of  Chatillon,  227,  230. 

Richard  Cceur  de  Lion,  90,  135, 
166. 

Roads  leading  to  'Akka,  81—83. 

Rogers,  Mr.  E.  T.,  84,  226. 

Rorgius,    Seigneur   of    Caiphas 
(Haifa),  95. 


Sacrifices    on    Jebel     Harun 
(Mount  of  Aaron),  225. 
Jebel  Musa  (Mount  of  Moses), 

231- 
Saida  (Sidon),  42—48,  51. 

History  of,  42,  43. 

Population  and  schools,  43. 
Saladin  (Salah-ed-Din),  90,  135. 
Samson,  151,  153,  154- 
Sanctuary  of   'Aly    Ibn    Aleim, 

134,  135. 

Imam  'Aly,  141,  143. 
Sand  dunes,  Beirut,  39. 

Philistia,  150. 
Sarepta  (Zarephath),  49,  50. 

View  from  site  of,  51. 
School  of  the  Prophets  (Carmel), 

85,  89. 
Sebil  Abu  Nabut,  Jaffa,  136,  143. 
Sefuriyeh,  72. 
Seigneurie  de  Caiphas  (Haifa), 

95- 
Selim  I.,  91. 
Sepphoris,  72. 
Shefa  'Amr,  71. 
Shell  Mounds,  Tyre,  61. 
Shocoh    (Shuweikeh),    157,   158, 

159- 
Shukif   (Castle    of   Belfort),    52, 

70. 
Sidon.    See  Saida. 
Sidonians,  1,  6, 
Sieges  of  Acre,  75,  78,  79,  89. 
Siloam  Tablet  (note),  46. 
Siyeh,  Wady  es,  101. 
Solomon,  4. 
Sources  of  the  Dog  River,  20,  23, 

28,  29,  30. 
Stanley,  Dean,  198,  222. 
Stephen    the    Porter,    St.,    236, 

237- 
Supper  at  Kefr  Lamm,  115,  116. 
Sur,  Es  (Tyre),  53—66. 
Surafend,  114. 

Sur'ah  (Zorah),  149,  151 — 155. 
Sycaminum  (Tell  es  Semak),  site 

of,  98,  99,  1 10. 


Tabitha,  tomb  of,  143,  147. 
Tancred,  95. 

Tanturah  (Dor),  105, 114,  115,  117 
—123- 
Landing  at,  118,  119. 
Tartus.    See  A  ntaradus. 
Tekoa  (Teku'a),  188—190. 
Tell  Gezer,  Abu  Shusheh,  144. 
Tell  el  Kasis,  107. 
Tell  es  Safy,  158— 161,  176. 


Tell    es     Semak    (Sycaminum, 

Shikmonah),  98,  99,  100. 
Tell  Kaimun  (Jokneam),  107, 109. 
TellZif  (Ziph),  199. 
Temple  of  Venus,  27. 
Templist    colony,      Haifa,      96, 

98. 
Tibneh  (Timnath),  153,  155,  156. 
Tibnin,  castle  of,  66. 
Tireh,  no. 

Tomb  of  Aaron  (Neby  Harun), 
220,  222,  225. 
Benjamin  (Neby  Ben  Yamin), 

116. 
pn  Carmel,  with  rolling  stone, 
102,  103. 
Traditional  tomb  of  Joshua,  125, 

139- 
Tree  Worship,  194. 
Tripoli  (Tarabalus),  5,  8,  9,  10 — 
18. 
Castle  of,  9 — 15. 
History  of,  12 — 14. 
El  Mina,  the  port  of,  5,  18. 
Population  of,  14 — 18. 
Tyre  (Es  Sur),  53—66. 
Alexander's  Causeway,  59. 
Antiquities  of,  59. 
Cathedral  of,  54,  56. 
Gate  of,  55. 
Tombs  at,  57,  63 — 66. 
Tyrian  purple,  48,  54,  58,  61. 


Vale  of  D6r,  122,  123. 
Valley  of  the  Adonis,  17. 
Valley  of  Berachah,  184. 
Valleys  of  Carmel,  101,  103,  109, 

no. 
Valley  of  Elah  (Wady  es  Sunt), 

r57.  I58>  l6°.  182. 
Valley  of  Sorek  (Wady  es  Sur'ar), 

149.  151— '55.  161. 
Venetians  at  Acre,  90. 
Venetian    Crusaders    at    Tyre, 

54- 


Wady  el 'Arabah.    See'Arabah. 

el  Artsh,  168. 

Ashur,  66,  67. 

Bereikuh,  184,  189,  190. 

ed  Deir,  232. 

Ghuzzeh  (Gaza),  168. 

Merakh,  230. 

Musa  (Petra),  211,  214. 

Rashmia,  109. 

Sa'al,  131. 

es  Salib  (Valley  of  the  Cross), 
103. 

es  Seb'a  (Beersheba),  168. 

Sheriar,  168. 

esh  Sheikh,  232. 

es  Siyeh  (Valley  of  the  Pilgrim), 
101. 

es  Sunt  or  es  Sur.    See  Valley 
of  Elah. 

es  Sur'ar.    See  Valley  of  Sorek. 

TOffah,  192,  193. 
Walled  cities,  74. 
Washing  hands,   Oriental  mode 

of,  77,  86. 
Wells  and  sakiyehs,  81,  94,  95, 

138,  142. 
Wheat  of  the  Hauran,  82. 
White  Cape.    See  Ras  el  A  by  ad. 


Wilderness  of  Engedi,  207,  208. 

Judaea,  185,  199. 
Wilson,  R.E.,  Col.  Sir  Charles, 

74- 


Yabneh  (Jabneh),  150,  161,  163. 
Yaziir,  144 

ZaherAny,     El     (the    Flowery 

River),  4g. 
Zarephath.     See  Sarepta. 
Zebulon,  98. 
Zerin.     See  Jezreel. 
Zib  (Achzib),  70. 
Zib  (Tell  Zif),  199. 
Zoan  (Tanis),  183. 
Zorah.    See  S&r'ah. 


page 
Genesis  xlix.  13.    Zebulon's 

"  haven  " 98 

Numbers       xx.       17  —  21. 

Edom 222 

xxxiii.  38.  Mount  Hor  .  222 
Deut.  xxii.  8.  "A  battlement 

for  thy  roof"     .    .     133,142 
Joshua  xvii.  11.    "Dor"      .  118 
xix.  29.     "  The  strong  city 

of  Tyre" 58 

Judges  i.  27 — 28.    "  Manas- 

seh " 114 

iv.  16.    "  Harosheth  of  the 

Gentiles" 107 

v.  21,  22.   "The  Kishon"  .  107 

1  Samuel  vi.  12.    "The  Ark 

of  the  Lord"     .    .     154,155 
xxiii.  24.     David  "  in  the 
wilderness".     .    .    199,208 

2  Samuel  v.  n.  "Cedars  of 

Lebanon " 26 

1  Kings  iv.  n.     Solomon's 

purveyors 122 

1  Kings  iv.  22,  23.  Solo- 
mon's provisions  for 
one  day 122 

1  Kings  xviii.  17 — 40.      Eli- 

jah's sacrifice  ....  106 
xviii.  45,  46.     Road  from 

Carmel  to  Jezreel  .  .  .  107 
xix.  4,  5.    Elijah's  shelter 

in  the  wilderness  .    .    .  223 

2  Kings    xiv.    7.      "  Selah " 

(Petra) 211 

Job    xli.   24.     "  The  nether 

millstone " 82 

Jeremiah  ii.  2.     "  A  land  not 

sown  " 226 

1     Maccabees    x.    and     xi. 

Cleopatra,   daughter   of 

Ptolemy  VI 98 

xi.  and  xii.     Seleucidaean 

kings 88 

xv.  Siege  of  "  Dora  "  .  .  122 
Matthew  xiii.  8.     "  Some  a 

hundredfold "  ....  82 
Mark  ii.  n.     "Take  up  thy 

bed" 86 

vii.  3.     "  Except  they  wash 

their  hands  diligently," 

they  "  eat  not  "  ...  77 
Acts  xxvii.  9.  The  dangerous 

season  for  sailing      .     .  1 18 


END    OF    VOL.    III. 


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At  the  same  time  they  consider  that  they  are  only  consulting  the  wishes  of  their  readers 
if  they  avail  themselves  of  any  methods  which  enable  the  varied  phases  of  Art  to  be  presented 
in  a  more  attractive  and  perfect  manner. 

For  this  reason  during  1 88 1-2  Etchings  and  Fac-similes  of  drawings  have  taken  the 
place  of  a  portion  of  the  line  engravings,  of  which  every  year  it  is  more  difficult  to  obtain 
fine  examples,  owing  to  the  gradual  retirement  of  the  best  engravers,  and  the  lack  of 
able  craftsmen  to  take  their  place.  To  this  difficulty  is  added  the  increased  diffidence 
which  the  Proprietors  feel  in  asking  owners  of  pictures  to  lend  their  works  for  the  length  of 
time  requisite  to  produce  a  fine  line  engraving,  at  a  time  when  demands  are  so  much  more 
frequently  made,  than  was  formerly  the  case,  for  loans  by  town  and  country  exhibitions. 
Nevertheless,  they  are  loth  to  curtail  a  form  of  illustration  in  which  their  magazine  has 
stood  pre-eminently  alone. 

The  Line  Engravings  in  the  volume  for  1883  will  be  selected  from  the  celebrated  pictures 
purchased  by  the  Royal  Academy  under  the  Chantrey  Bequest,  at  present  exhibited  in  South 
Kensington  Museum.  These  pictures  have  all  been  painted  during  the  past  few  years,  and 
are  thoroughly  representative  of  contemporary  British  Art.  Among  those  for  which  arrange- 
ments have  been  made  to  engrave  are — 

"A  Visit  to  yEsculapius,"  by  E.  J.  Poynter,  R.A. 

"  Their  only  Harvest,"  by  Colin  Hunter. 

"The  Swineherd,"  by  C.  E.  Johnson. 

"  The  Waning  of  the  Year,"  by  Ernest  Parton  j  &c. 


The  following  are  also  in  preparation : — 

"  Christ  in  the  Carpenter's  Shop,"  after  J.  E.  Millais,  R.A. 

"  The  Knuckle-Bone  Player,"  after  Sir  Frederick  Leighton,  P.R.A. 

"  The  Fox  and  the  Geese,"  after  Briton  Riviere. 

"The  Princes  in  the  Tower,"  after  J.  E.  Millais,  R.A. 

"  Refurbishing,"  after  P.  H.  Calderon,  R.A. 

"  Home  Again,"  after  E.  A.  Waterlow. 

The  Etchings,  which  have  caused  a  large  increase  in  the  Circulation  of  the  Journal,  will, 
in  1883,  commence  with  "  Cowdray,"  by  Seymour  Haden,  and  be  continued  by  a  number  of 
the  highest  class  plates  by  the  most  eminent  Etchers. 

Special  attention  will  be  directed  to  the  Wood  Engravings,  and  early  in  the  year,  by 
permission  of  the  Trustees  of  the  National  Gallery,  illustrations  of  the  pictures  acquired  for 
the  nation  during  1882,  including  those  purchased  at  the  Hamilton  sale,  will  be  included. 

It  is  intended  to  give,  in  each  month  during  the  year,  an  illustrated  article  on  The  Year's 
Advance  in  Art  Manufactures  in  England  and  France,  which  will  be  written  by  independent 
and  well-qualified  authorities. 

Amongst  other  matters  it  may  be  mentioned  that  Her  Majesty  the  Queen,  and  Sir  Fred. 
Leighton,  P.R.A.,  have  lent  pictures  to  illustrate  a  life  of  a  very  interesting  artist — the  late 
George  Mason. 

Provincial  Art  will  occupy  each  month  as  usual  a  considerable  portion  of  the  Journal. 

Artists  will  find  in  the  Art  Journal  every  information  as  to  forthcoming  Exhibitions 
and  other  matters  of  importance  to  them. 

The  first  ten  volumes  after  1839  are  now  out  of  print,  and  the  publishers  are  willing  to 
purchase  complete  sets.  All  the  remaining  volumes  may  be  had,  together  or  separately, 
handsomely  bound,  price  £  1  us.  6d.  each;  or  with  gilt  edges,  £  1  15s.  each. 

The  New  Series  commenced  in  1881,  and  many  interesting  features  have •  been  added 
since  that  time.  The  Monthly  Parts  may  be  had,  price  2s.  6d.  each,  or  in  volumes  the  same 
prices  as  those  already  mentioned. 


PROOFS    OF    THE    ETCHINGS. 

One  Hundred  Proofs  are  printed  from  the  original  plates  of  each  Etching.  They  are 
printed  on  large  paper,  and  are  mostly  published  at  21s.  each  on  the  first  of  the  month 
in  which  the  subject  appears  in  the  Art  Journal. 


J.  S.  VIRTUE  &  CO.,  Limited,  294,  CITY  ROAD,  LONDON. 


THE    HISTORY    OF   SURREY. 

By    E.   W.    BRAYLEY,    F.S.A. 

Edited  and  Revised,  and  brought  down  to  the  Present  Time, 
Bv  EDWARD   WALFORD,    M.A., 

Author  of  "  The  County  Families  of  the  United  Kingdom,"  and  formerly  Editor  of  the  Gentleman's  Magazine. 
ILLUSTRATED    WITH    STEEL    AND    WOOD    ENGRAVINGS 

AFTER    ORIGINAL    DRAWINGS     OF    THE    MOST    INTERESTING    AND     NOTEAVORTHY    MANSIONS, 
CHURCHES,     CASTLES,    ANTIQUITIES,     AND     SCENERY. 

In  Four   Volumes,  cloth  gilt,  gilt  edges  extra,  price  27s.  6d.  each. 


THE  HISTORY  OF  HAMPSHIRE. 

By  B.  B.  WOODWARD,  B.A.,  F.S.A.,  and  the  Rev.  THEODORE  C.  WILKS. 

WITH  A   HISTORY  OF  THE  ISLE   OF   WIGHT,  by  Charles  Lockhart,  Esq. 

ILLUSTRATED    BY    STEEL    ENGRAVINGS,    AFTER    ORIGINAL    VIEWS,    MAPS,    &c. 

In   Three   Volumes,  4I0,  cloth  gilt,  gilt  edges,  price  £5  5s. 


HALLAMSHIRE. 

THE    HISTORY    AND    TOPOGRAPHY    OF    THE    PARISH    OF    SHEFFIELD. 

With    Historical  and   Descriptive    Notices   of   the    Parishes    of    Ecclesfield, 
Hansworth,  Treeton,  and  Whiston,  and  of  the  Chapelry  of  Bradfield. 

By  JOSEPH  HUNTER,  F.S.A.         Edited  by  DR.  GATTY. 

One  Volume,  half  morocco,  £3   10s. 


LONDON. 

BY     CHARLES     KNIGHT. 

To    WHICH   IS   ADDED 

CURIOSITIES    OF    LONDON 

Exhibiting   the    most   Rare   and    Remarkable    Objects   of   Interest 

in   the   Metropolis. 

By    JOHN     TIMBS,     F.S.A. 

I11  Four   Volumes,  cloth  gilt,  gilt  edges,   22s.   6d.  each. 


J.  S.  VIRTUE  &  CO.,  Limited,  294,  CITY  ROAD,  LONDON. 


0 


DS  Wilson,    (Sir)  Charles 

107  William  (ed.) 
W73  Picturesque  Palestine, 

w.3  Sinai  and  Egypt 


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